Saturday, June 14, just over 3,000 hunters will find out if they will be taking part in what many call the “hunt of a lifetime.”
Starting at 3 p.m., the department will begin announcing the names of the lucky moose hunters who were fortunate enough to be drawn for a moose permit for 2014. The annual drawing is part of the Moose Lottery Festival that is taking place on Saturday, June 14 at the Gentile Hall Building, at the University of Maine in Presque Isle.
This year, 53,577 people applied for the chance to hunt moose, including 15,158 nonresidents. There are 3,095 permits available this year, 10 percent of which go to nonresidents.
Hunters may hunt moose in one of 25 wildlife management districts, which cover over 21,000 square miles. The moose hunt is divided into four separate seasons that take place from September through the end of November.
Along with the selection of names, there will be a variety of events taking place at the Moose Lottery Festival on the campus of UMPI including:
-The finals of the Maine Professional Guides Association Moose Calling Contest will be held starting at 2 p.m.
-Bluegrass music from 12-2 p.m. featuring the local bands the Fiddle Heads and the Left Over Biscuits.
-In addition, there will be vendors attending from the throughout the state of Maine.
The annual moose lottery generally draws several hundred hopeful people to the event. Since 1999, the Department has rotated the lottery throughout the state. Prior to 1999, it was always in Augusta. Over the past 15 years, lotteries were held in Millinocket, Boothbay Harbor, Old Town, Bucksport, Scarborough (three times), Presque Isle, Rumford, Phippsburg, Kittery, Fort Kent, Freeport, Oquossoc, and Greenville.
As always, admission to the event is free and is open to the public. For those prospective moose hunters who can’t make it to the lottery drawing, the names of permit winners will be posted on the department’s websitestarting at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
