AROOSTOOK COUNTY, Maine — The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services as of March has begun accepting applications for the 2021 Disabled Veterans Controlled Moose Hunt held in Aroostook County.
Since the program’s inception in 2010, MBVS has partnered with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) and Smoldering Lake Outfitters to issue hunting permits and essential equipment to participating veterans. The hunt, which is entirely free for selected veterans, costs roughly $50,000 to administer. Costs associated with the hunt include guiding services, essential adaptive equipment, meat processing and travel and lodging.
For those who served in the military, no matter the branch, you understand the importance of community. That need for communal support doesn’t go away when you leave service – and we take pride in knowing that Mainers have stepped up to provide collaborative advocacy for our service members. The Disabled Veterans Controlled Moose Hunt offers our veterans an opportunity to gain comradery, confidence, and support from fellow veterans who have gone through similar struggles. In fact, veterans who have participated repeatedly share with us the value of the program as well as the significant impact it has had on their lives.
Unlike the regular IF&W moose lottery, the Disabled Veterans Controlled Moose Lottery is limited to only those veterans with a disability rating of at least 50%. Each hunter is required to team up with a registered Maine Guide who has specific training for the hunt, and if a veteran has ever tagged a moose through the program, that veteran is ineligible to hunt again.
Applications must be submitted to the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services by 4 p.m. on Friday, April 30. Applications can be downloaded from the bureau’s website, maine.gov/veterans/benefits/recreational-licenses/veterans-moose-lottery.html. Completed applications can then be uploaded directly to the Bureau’s “Document Upload” page.
Results of the lottery will be posted no earlier than Friday, May 28.
For more information about the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services and the Disabled Veterans Controlled Moose Hunt, please visit: maine.gov/veterans/ or call 207-430-6035.
