Hunting Guide

How the Maine Moose Lottery Works: A Complete Guide

Maine’s moose hunting permit system is one of the most coveted — and competitive — big game drawings in the country. Every year, tens of thousands of hunters apply for a limited number of permits to hunt Maine’s iconic moose. Understanding how the lottery works can help you make better application decisions and improve your odds.

How the Lottery System Works

Maine’s moose hunting permits are allocated through a computerized random drawing. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) manages the system. Applications are typically accepted in the spring — usually from late March through mid-May — with the drawing held in June.

Each applicant selects their preferred Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) when applying. You can list multiple zone preferences, and the system processes your application in order of preference. If your first-choice zone is full, it moves to your second choice, and so on.

Resident vs. Non-Resident Odds

Maine reserves a portion of permits for residents and a portion for non-residents. Generally:

  • Residents receive the majority of available permits (90%)
  • Non-residents compete for the remaining 10%

Non-resident odds are significantly lower due to the smaller allocation and high demand from out-of-state hunters. Only about 10% of permits (roughly 400) go to non-residents each year.

Preference Points and Bonus System

Maine operates a bonus point system, not a traditional preference point system. Here’s how it works:

Maine moose lottery bonus points increase your odds of winning a permit by acting as extra entries in the annual drawing for every consecutive year you apply and are not selected.

Bonus Point Accumulation Rates (Consecutive Years):

  • 0–5 years: 1 point per year
  • 6–10 years: 2 points per year
  • 11–15 years: 3 points per year
  • 16+ years: 10 points per year

Bonus points reset when you win a permit, skip a year, or fail to purchase a point.

The Sub-Permittee System

Each moose permit allows the permit holder to designate one sub-permittee — a second hunter who can also carry a firearm and participate in the hunt. However, there is still only one moose tag between the two hunters.

Key points about sub-permittees:

  • The sub-permittee must be named when you accept your permit
  • Both hunters must hunt together and share the same moose tag
  • Once a moose is harvested by either hunter, the hunt is complete

This system is fantastic for hunting with a friend or family member — our guided hunts include the sub-permittee.

Choosing Your Zones

Zone selection is one of the most important decisions in your application. Consider:

  1. Tag allocation: Some zones issue more permits than others
  2. Moose density: Northern zones (WMDs 1-11) have the highest moose populations
  3. Access: Some zones have better road access than others
  4. Success rates: Historical harvest data is available from MDIFW

If you desire to hunt with us, contact us to discuss what WMDs and in what order you should choose when entering the Maine moose lottery.

What Happens After You’re Drawn

If your name is drawn, congratulations! Here’s what comes next:

  1. Notification: MDIFW notifies winners by email and posts results online
  2. Permit acceptance: You must accept your permit and pay the license fee ($585)
  3. Sub-permittee designation: Name your sub-permittee if you’re using one
  4. Book your hunt: Contact us to secure your dates!

The permit acceptance deadline is strict — typically within a few weeks of notification. Miss it and your permit goes to an alternate.

Tips for Improving Your Odds

  1. Apply every year to accumulate bonus points
  2. Consider less popular zones with higher draw odds (we can hunt many zones)
  3. Be flexible on season dates — September and October both offer great hunting
  4. Check zone-by-zone odds in MDIFW’s annual harvest report before applying

Alternative: Lodge Tag Hunts

Skip the lottery and buy a lodge tag hunting package. While we can’t offer these lodge tag hunts directly, we can make recommendations on lodges that can. Learn more →

Ready to plan your Maine moose hunt? Contact us to discuss zone selection, lottery strategy, and available dates.