January 30, 2017

IFW NEWS -- Maine Moose Permit Auction Raises Over $133,000 for Scholarships

AUGUSTA, Maine ? Over $133,000 was raised for youth conservation education scholarships in Maine through the 2016 Maine Moose Permit Auction. Ten hunters bid a total of over $133,000 in an auction for the opportunity to hunt moose in Maine during the 2016 season.

The auction was created by the Legislature and began in 1995. It allows the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to publicly auction ten moose permits each year. Applicants submit bids through a written bid process. Permits are awarded to the ten winning bidders each February. The average winning bid for 2016 was $13,516.50.

Proceeds from the auction fund partial scholarships that will help send over 600 Maine youngsters to several conservation camps within the state.These camps provide boys and girls ages 8 through 17 the opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor and classroom activities. Students are taught by experienced instructors and counselors, as well as staff from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and other state and private conservation agencies.

?While the auction winners have the opportunity to partake in the hunt of a lifetime, their winning bids also ensure Maine children have the chance to learn outdoor skills that will give them a lifetime of appreciation of the Maine outdoors,? said Chandler Woodcock, Commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Conservation camp programs are designed to teach Maine boys and girls the importance of conservation, a respect for the environment and a working knowledge of a variety of outdoor skills. Subjects taught at camp include wildlife identification, fishing, boating safety, archery, firearms handling, hunter safety, forest conservation, map and compass work and much more.

Bids for the 2017 auction are now being accepted and must be received at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333, no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on February 15, 2017. A non-refundable bid fee of $25.00 in U.S. funds must accompany each bid.

A downloadeable copy of the bid packet is available online by visiting: http://www.maine.gov/ifw/licensespermits/lotteries/moose/pdfs/2017mooseauctioninformationbidform.pdf

For more information on the Maine Moose Permit Auction or moose hunting in Maine, please visit our website at www.mefishwildlife.com -30-