State opens annual moose permit lottery

4 years ago

AUGUSTA, Maine — Dreaming of the hunt of a lifetime? The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has announced that the 2020 Maine moose permit lottery application process is now open.

Applications for the moose permit lottery will be accepted online only.

Department officials said the online application process is fast and simple, and applicants will receive instant confirmation that they have successfully entered the lottery.

Interested people may go to mefishwildlife.com and fill out the online moose permit application. They will be able to indicate several preferences, including which wildlife management districts (WMD) they are willing to accept a permit in, and if they would accept a permit in another WMD if their name is drawn and all of your top choices are filled. Applicants may also select their preferred hunting season, whether or not they would accept an antlerless permit, and their choice of a sub-permittee.

The deadline to apply for the lottery is 11:59 p.m. on May 14, 2020.

Applicants are awarded bonus points for each consecutive year that they have applied for the lottery since 1998 without being selected, and each bonus point gives the applicant an additional chance in the drawing. Bonus points are 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 anyone who applied in 2018, but not in 2019, will still have their points available if they apply in 2020.

The 2020 moose lottery permit drawing will take place at Unity College Sky Lodge in Jackman on June 13, 2020.

 For more information about moose hunting in Maine and the moose permit lottery, please visit: mefishwildlife.com.