The state of Maine issued 4,080 moose hunting permits for the upcoming hunting season scheduled to begin Monday, September 26, 2022.
In 1936, moose hunting was discontinued until 1980, making this year the 42nd season since its reinstatement. The Maine Department of Inland and Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) says that it has issued the second highest number of permits this year, and the most since 2013.
According to MDIFW, over 69,000 people applied for the opportunity to hunt moose in Maine, including nearly 25,000 nonresidents.
The MDIFW manages Maine’s moose population by regulating hunting seasons. The number of permits issued for each district is contingent upon three key factors: moose population density in a given area, management goals that balance the opportunities to view and hunt moose, and road safety.
The moose season encompasses multiple week-long seasons and one month-long season. The opening week will be from September 26th through October 1st, and 1050 hunters will be permitted to hunt in the far northern and eastern areas of the state.
The MDIFW granted an additional 1,580 permits for those hunting from October 10th through the 15th. From October 24th through the 29th, 860 permits were provided, and lastly, 40 moose hunting permits were granted in West-Central Maine from October 29th through November 6th.
The Northern Somerset and Piscataquis counties, known as Zone 4, devised an adaptive moose hunt intended to lower the moose population to see if the lower moose density will lead to a lower winter tick density.
The primary killers of moose calves are winter ticks, and therefore the MDIFW is working diligently to find ways that mitigate their influence on the moose population.
Thus, in zone 4, the weeks and number of permits for this hunt are as follows: From October 17th to the 22nd, the state has granted 200 cow permits. From October 24th through the 29th, 150 cow permits were dispersed; and it is 200 cow permits from October 31st through November 5th.
Last year, the MDIFW reported that 65% of all moose hunters were successful, making the success rate much higher than that of bear, turkey, or deer hunting, which historically falls in the 18 to 30 percent range.