Moose permits going up slightly

For 2019 the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing 2,820 moose hunting permits be issued in order to meet their moose harvest objectives.  This includes a total of 2,130 antlered moose permits, 650 antlerless-only permits, and 40 any-moose permits. This is an increase of 320 permits from 2018. 

Permits may be valid for either antlered moose, antlerless moose, or a moose of either sex, depending on the WMD and specific season in which the permit authorizes hunting.  For the 2019 moose season the majority of WMDs open to moose hunting showed a stable population and for most of the core moose range (WMDs 1-9) an incremental increase in antlerless permits was recommended.

The rule was also amended to reflect a statutory change which reduced the amount of permits available to nonresidents from 10% of the total permits issued to 8%.  The 2% reduction of permits to nonresidents was used to make permits available to qualifying hunting lodges (12 MRS, Section 11154 §14).

Proposed permit allocations according to Wildlife Management District are as follows: WMD 1 – 350 antlered / 125 antlerless WMD 13 – 15 antlered  WMD 2 – 250 antlered /125 antlerless WMD 14 – 30 antlered WMD 3 – 150 antlered / 100 antlerless WMD 15 – 25 any-moose WMD 4 – 300 antlered / 150 antlerless WMD 16 – 15 any-moose WMD 5 – 200 antlered / 100 antlerless WMD 17 – 10 antlered WMD 6 – 150 antlered / 50 antlerless WMD 18 – 40 antlered WMD 7 – 125 antlered WMD 19 – 60 antlered WMD 8 – 175 antlered WMD 27 & 28 (combined) – 40 antlered WMD 9  –   100 antlered  WMD 10 – 60 antlered   WMD 11 – 50 antlered   WMD 12 – 25 antlered  

 

 

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.