March 27, 2014

Deadline Approaching for Maine Moose Lottery

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2014

Deadline Approaching for Maine Moose Lottery

The deadline to apply for the Maine Moose Lottery is fast approaching, and hunters who want the chance to hunt moose in Maine need to mail or deliver their paper application by April 1, 2014. Online applicants have until 11:59 on May 14, 2014 to apply for the moose lottery.

Online and paper applications are available at www.mefishwildlife.com. Hunters can print and mail their paper application, deliver it to IFW headquarters at 284 State Street in Augusta or can easily apply directly online.

This year, the department intends to issue 4,085 moose permits in 25 different wildlife management districts that encompass over 21,000 square miles.

?Maine?s moose population is healthy and strong,? said Lee Kantar, the department?s moose biologist. The department utilizes several different methods to monitor the moose population, including aerial flights to assess population and the composition of the moose herd. During the moose hunting season, biologists also examine teeth, the number of ticks a moose carries, and in some cases, examine ovaries to determine reproductive rates.

The department also recently began an intensive 5-year radio-collar moose research project that will give department biologists an even greater understanding of the health of the Maine moose population, including such keys as adult and calf survival rates and reproductive rates.

Maine?s moose hunt is segmented into four different seasons, with the first season beginning on September 22, and the final season ending on November 29.

Maine?s moose hunt is extremely popular. Last year, over 55,000 hunters applied for a chance to hunt moose in Maine. Long-time lottery applicants who continue to apply have a better chance at winning due to changes in the lottery implemented in 2012.

Bonus points are awarded for each consecutive year the applicant has applied for the lottery since 1998 without being selected. Each bonus point gives the applicant an additional chance in the drawing.

Bonus points are now earned at the rate of one per year for years one to five, two per year for years six to 10, three per year for years 11 to 15 and 10 per year for years 16 and beyond.

Since 2011, applicants can skip a year and not lose their bonus points. So if you applied in 2012 but not in 2013, you still have your points if you apply in 2014.

This year?s moose permit lottery winners will be announced on June 14 at the Moose lottery festival at the University of Maine Presque Isle.