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Moose Hunting Permits
2008 Moose Hunter's Guide PDF(1.67 MB), WORD(3.07 MB). Everything you need to know about moose hunting in Maine. To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page, e-mail or call us at (207) 287-8000. To view the word documents, you will need Microsoft Word. General Information Alces alces americana According to state wildlife biologists, Maine's moose population is estimated at 29,000. For the 2007 season, the success rate for hunters was 71 percent. Hunters killed 2,052 moose out of a possible 2,880 permits issued. Every year, several moose exceed 1,000 lbs. dressed weight. Trophy racks are not uncommon. Who May Hunt Only holders of a valid moose hunting permit and their subpermittee's may hunt moose. Legal Methods for Taking Moose Moose may be hunted with rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, or bow and arrow. Shotguns using shot loads and .22 caliber rimfire firearms are prohibited. Other Restrictions The bag limit is one moose per permit holder. The moose may be shot by either the permittee or the subpermittee. It is illegal to drive moose in the State of Maine. For more information on moose hunting laws and rules (including registration stations, moose meat processing facilities, etc), see the Moose Hunter's Guide. Hunters holding valid moose permits and their designated subpermittee may hunt moose in one of twenty three Wildlife Management Districts (WMD's), which cover over 21,000 square miles. Successful bidders of the moose auction may select the hunting zone of their choice.
Applicants may indicate season and WMD preferences, and may check a box if they do not want an antlerless-only permit. Successful applicants will receive either a bull only permit or an antlerless only permit. Permits for the November season are any-moose permits (which allow the taking of either a bull or a cow). Number of Permits to be issued in 2008: 3,015 - No more than 10% of the permits in each District will be issued to nonresidents. Multiple Choice Options and Fees Participants in the annual moose lottery have had the opportunity of increasing their odds of being selected for a moose hunting permit by purchasing additional chances. The so-called "multiple choice option" works like this:
The applicant's only proof of entry in the drawing is the receipt card attached to the application form, or those applying on-line will receive an confirmation number. If you desire a receipt for your mail-in application, you must place the correct U.S. postage on the receipt card and fill in the same name and address as shown on the application form. The Department will validate the card and mail it back to you. Keep the receipt card until after the permits are issued and distributed. Bonus points are awarded if a person is unsuccessful in obtaining a moose permit through the drawing, beginning with the 1998 drawing. One point is awarded for each consecutive year the applicant applies and is not selected for a moose permit. Each bonus point accumulated gives the individual an additional chance in the drawing. Bonus points are tracked using a Department issued identification number (IF&W ID#) or a social security number. Bonus points are not transferable. To receive bonus points, the applicant must apply on a Department approved application; and provide a Department issued identification number (IF&W ID#) or social security number. To ensure you receive your bonus points, be sure to use either your department issued number (IF&W ID#) or your social security number. Make sure to use the same number as the previous year. New applicants who do not wish to provide their social security number, will leave both the IF&W ID number box and the social security number box on the application blank, and the Department will assign the number. If you applied in last year, but do not remember your IF&W ID number, send us an email, or call the IFW Information Center at (207) 287-8000. A person changing from the Department issued number (IF&W ID#), to using the applicant's social security number, or vice versa, must provide both numbers on the application to maintain the accumulated points. Important - Bonus Points are forfeited if the applicant:
2008 Permit Allocations by Wildlife Management District - No more than 10% of the permits in each District will be issued to nonresidents.
Anyone receiving a Maine moose hunting permit must wait two years before being eligible to hold another one. If you received a permit in 2006 or 2007, you may not apply in 2008. This requirement affects permit holders only; it does not affect hunters who were a subpermittee, nor does it prohibit a hunter from being a subpermittee during the two-year waiting period. You are eligible to apply for the Maine moose lottery if:
Note: Although a junior hunting license can be pre-issued before the holder is 10 years old, be advised that the license and permit cannot be used until the youngster is 10 years old. Junior hunters are eligible to apply if they are at least 10 years old by the last day of the season for which they apply. All applicants 16 years of age and older must comply with Maine's hunter safety law before a big game hunting license can be issued. Click here for current safety courses being offered. Subpermittee and Alternate Subpermittee At the time of application, each applicant may select one person as a subpermittee to participate in the moose hunt. An alternate subpermittee may also be designated at the time of application. By law, no one other than these two people may be designated as the subpermittee. The permittee may authorize the alternate subpermittee to participate in the hunt in place of the subpermittee, if the permittee notifies the Department in writing no later than five business days before their hunt begins. Only one moose may be taken per permit, and it may be shot by either the permit holder or subpermittee. Other individuals may accompany the moose hunters, but only the permit holder or subpermittee may hunt or kill the moose. The permittee must be present during the hunt or the subpermittee cannot hunt. Maine's 2008 Moose Permit Lottery Drawing Results. The Moose Permit drawing is held annually in mid-June. The 2008 moose permit drawing was held on June 12, 2008 at Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine. Applicants are assigned, in the order drawn, to their highest choice of available Wildlife Management Districts (WMD's) until all permits are awarded. If you are drawn to receive a permit and your preferred WMD's are already filled, you will be assigned to a WMD as close geographically as possible to your first choice (unless you check the box on your application indicating you only want the districts that you have chosen). If the district you are assigned to has both a September and an October hunting season, you will be assigned to the September season (unless you check the box on your application indicating that you only want to hunt in October) until all available permits are filled, then subsequently drawn applicants will be assigned to the October season (unless you check the box indicating that you do not want to hunt in October). Drawings for residents and nonresidents will be held separately. Individuals selected to receive a moose permit, but who decline the permit for which they applied will lose their bonus points. Each successful applicant in the permit drawing will be notified by mail within a few weeks after the drawing. The successful applicant will then have a designated period in which to acquire the permit. It is very important that you provide a mailing address where you can be reached during this time. Applicants not selected in the drawing will not be notified. We also post the names of the winners here on our website after the drawing. Successful applicants are required to pay a permit fee before they may obtain their permit. Permit fees are as follows:
Moose permit winners are allowed to swap their moose permit with another moose permit winner. There are no restrictions on swapping other than only one swap is allowed, and both moose permits must be paid for before swaps can be made. Moose permit winners who wish to swap their permit with another moose permit winner will need to do all their own work to identify and contact potential permit winners to swap with. The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine (SAM) has created a web site swapping system to match those who wish to swap zones. If you are interested in registering or finding someone who wants to swap permits, please visit www.samcef.org. You can also obtain a listing of moose permit winners from InforME at www.informe.org/moose. To swap your moose permit with another moose permit winner, send a written letter (one letter only signed by both permittees) to: Moose Permit Swap, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, 41 SHS, Augusta, ME 04333. The fee to swap permits is $7.00 (one check for $7.00 covers both of you). The letter must include your name, permit number, permit type, season, and WMD, as well as the name, permit number, permit type, season, and WMD of the person you are swapping with. Remember, the letter must be signed by both permittees. The letter, as well as the $7.00 fee permit swap fee, must be received by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Augusta by August 1, 2008 in order to make the permit swap. Make checks payable to: "Treasurer, State of Maine". Please do not send cash. The Department will auction 10 moose hunting permits to applicants who submit the highest bids through a written bid process. An applicant must submit the permit bid form along with a nonrefundable $25.00 bidding fee by the bid receipt deadline. Each person awarded a permit must pay the bid amount and must select a hunting district, hunting week, and permit type (bull only or antlerless only) within 30 days after the permit is awarded. If the permit winner wants to hunt with a subpermittee, that person must be designated within the 30 day response period. A person may apply in both the public chance drawing and in the auction but can receive only one permit. If a successful bidder receives a permit in the public chance drawing, the person is no longer eligible in the auction; and the bidding fee and bid amount submitted by that person will be refunded. All other provisions of the moose hunting laws and regulations apply. All funds from the sale of these permits, including bidding fees, will be deposited in a nonlapsing fund to be used to pay the costs to administer the program and to fund Youth Conservation Education Programs in Maine. A successful bid will guarantee you an opportunity to take part in Maine's moose hunt in either September or October. Maine is one of a few states in the country that permit the hunting of moose with shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, or bow and arrow, as well as conventional rifle. Winning bids for 2008 ranged from $8,500.00 to $12,650.00. General Moose Permit Auction InstructionsBids must be submitted on the standard bid form provided by the department. A person may submit more than one bid but may only receive one moose hunting permit. For any person submitting more than one bid, the highest bid submitted will be the official bid. If you would like to receive an moose permit auction bid packet or a moose permit lottery application, please send us an email, call our office at (207) 287-8000, or write to the address below: Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife DeadlineBids must be received at Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, ME 04333 no later than 5:00 P.M. on March 31, 2008. FeesA nonrefundable bid fee of $25.00 in U.S. funds must accompany each bid. Bid AmountThe bid amount is the total you bid for a moose permit. The amount includes the resident or the nonresident moose permit fee but does not include the resident or nonresident hunting license fee. Bid HandlingWhen the bid is received at the office, the mail back envelope will be opened and the bid envelope and bid fee removed. If the fee is correct, and the bid envelope is correctly completed, the bid envelope will be stored unopened in a secure location. Incomplete or inaccurate bid packages will be corrected by phone or returned to the bidder. Bid OpeningBids for the 2008 moose hunt will be opened on April 1, 2008, and the ten highest bidders will be declared the winners. A list of the next five highest bidders will be maintained as alternates. NotificationSuccessful bidders will be notified by mail. Unsuccessful bidders will not be contacted. Successful bidders will be given 30 days to send in the bid payment and select a moose hunting district, hunting week, and permit type. A subpermittee, if desired, must also be selected within 30 days of notification. If payment is not received within 30 days, the next highest unsuccessful bidder will be notified and offered the permit. If a successful bidder applies and is selected in the public chance drawing, the person will be refunded the bid amount and bid fee, and the next highest unsuccessful bidder will be offered the permit. Once the drawing is completed, fees are paid, and subpermittee is selected, the successful moose auction bidders will be treated like all other moose permit holders. Maine Conservation Camp Proceeds from Maine's Moose Auction are used to help send Maine youngsters to a one-week session of summer conservation school at the Bryant Pond 4-H Camp (formerly the Maine Conservation School) and Greenland Point Center. Boys and girls ages 10 through 14 take part in a wide array of outdoor activities including sportsman's ethics, wildlife identification, boating safety, fishing, firearms handling, hunter safety, map and compass work, woods survival and much more! |
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