Changes coming in Maine’s moose lottery.

At the Maine legislature, two moose bills have been enacted, one is nearly there, one has been enacted and awaits action by the Appropriations Committee, and all the rest have been killed.

LD 553 was enacted without the Governor’s signature. It requires moose permits to be issued to any resident who is 65 years of age or older or will attain 65 years of age during the calendar year in which the resident is applying for the permit, who has accumulated at least 30 points in the moose lottery.

LD 843, enacted by the Senate and House, reduces the number of moose hunting permits that may be issued to nonresidents from 10% to 8% and allows up to 2% of moose hunting permits to be issued to hunting outfitters. The bill is awaiting action by the Appropriations Committee, which shouldn’t be a problem because the change actually increases, slightly, the amount of money that will be raised from the moose lottery.

LD 558 provides that hunters under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season are eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit and may accrue points in the public chance drawing for moose permits but are not eligible to receive a moose hunting permit. The amendment prohibits a person under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season from being a subpermittee-designate or alternate subpermittee-designate. This bill became law without the Governor’s signature.

LD 630 has passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. It repeals the prohibition on transferring a moose permit for money and directs DIF&W to establish an online transfer system for permits. Only those who won permits can participate, for the purpose of swapping permits.

LD 695, a bill to double the number of moose permits auctioned by DIF&W for conservation camp scholarships for kids from 10 to 20 was killed.

 

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.