2012 Controlled Moose Hunt in Aroostook County

Using this online service you will be able to enter into the 2012 Controlled Moose Hunt Lottery.

The purpose of the controlled moose hunt is to 1) reduce the incidence of crop depredation in selected towns in Aroostook County and 2) reduce the incidence of moose / vehicle collisions along the Route 1 and Route 161 corridor. This is not a recreational hunt. Rather, it is a targeted and focused effort to respond to farmers’ concerns about crop depredation and to address concerns about high incidences of moose/vehicle collisions along Routes 1 and 161. For several years, the Department has increased the number of moose permits in this area during the recreational hunt to respond to crop depredation and road safety concerns. The controlled hunt provides greater flexibility for the Department to effectively manage moose and reduce negative impacts from moose in areas that may have limited access or in “non-traditional” habitat that may not attract hunters (i.e., agricultural-woodland mix).

Applications must be completed by 11:59 pm (ET) on June 8, 2012.

A random chance drawing will be held on June 13, 2012.

PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HUNT

Persons eligible to participate in the hunt include:

Landowners who own a piece of land in Limestone, Caribou, Woodland, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Washburn, Westfield, Easton, Caswell, and Connor Twp. that is: 80 or more contiguous acres in size; is agricultural, forested, or undeveloped land; and is open to hunting, including hunting by permission. Any dependent living in a landowner’s household is also eligible.

Any shareholder in a corporation that qualifies under the Internal Revenue Service Code as a Chapter S corporation is eligible for the landowner permit drawing if that land is: 80 or more contiguous acres in size; is agricultural, forested, or undeveloped land; and is open to hunting, including hunting by permission. Dependents of shareholders are not eligible.

All registered Maine guides that currently have all Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife license privileges in good standing, are not convicted felons, and did not receive a controlled moose hunting permit by lottery in 2010 or 2011.

HOW TO APPLY

Eligible persons wishing to participate in the hunt must file an online application on a form furnished by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

There is no application fee.

A person may file no more than one application; each application is a “one-chance” application; there are no “multiple-chance” applications.

The online application deadline is 11:59 pm (ET) on June 8, 2012.

NUMBER OF PERMITS

A total of 50 permits will be available.

PERMIT ALLOCATIONS

Eligible Registered Maine Guides

Up to eighteen (18) of the moose hunting permits will be issued to eligible registered Maine guides. A total of (6) six guides will be choosen. Each selected guide will receive three moose permits, one permit for each of three permittees, who will be chosen at the discretion of the guide.

Registered Maine guides who receive permits are required to guide their permittees in agricultural areas designated by the Department within the 10 town area open to hunting.

All of the moose hunting permits issued to guides will be antlerless-only permits. Selected guides will not be eligible to personally possess or use any moose hunting permit issued for the hunt

Each registered Maine guide and their sub-guides, (a subguide for this Controlled Moose Hunt is defined as a registered Maine guide who accompanies and assists the listed sport while the permitted guide is not present) must attend a training session conducted by the Department before main guide is issued his/her moose hunting permits. The timing and place of training session will be mailed to each guide shortly after drawing. A selected guide who fails to attend the required training session will forfeit his/her permits; forfeited permits will be issued in turn to registered Maine guides who were runner-ups in the lottery.

Eligible Landowners

Landowners prior to applying must have a valid hunting license or have had a hunters safety course.

Up to Seventeen (17) of the moose hunting permits will be issued to eligible landowners.

Landowners who receive a permit are required to hunt on their own, eligible land.

Landowners who hunt on their own, eligible land will be issued an any-moose permit.

Each landowner selected by lottery must attend a training session before being issued his/her permit. The timing and place of training session will be mailed to each landowner shortly after permit drawing.A selected landowner who fails to attend the required training session will forfeit his/her permits; forfeited permits will be issued in turn to landowners who were runner-ups in the lottery.

Disabled Veterans

In addition to the above moose hunting permits, the Department shall allocate fifteen (15) moose hunting permits to disabled veterans to participate in the controlled moose hunt under 12 M.R.S. Section 12402.

Each selected disabled veteran will receive an any-moose permit. At least three of these permits must be issued to residents who possess a valid disabled veteran hunting license and no more than four permits may be issued to nonresident disabled veterans who possess a valid big game hunting license.

Permits will be issued in cooperation with the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Veteran’s Services to provide logistical support to the selected disabled veterans during their moose hunt. 2012 DAV Moose Lottery Application (Word), 2012 DAV Moose Lottery Application (PDF)

For purposes of this controlled hunt, “disabled veteran” has the same meaning as that defined in 12 M.R.S Section 10853, subsection 4.

NOTIFICATION OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

Permittees will be selected by a computerized random drawing on June 13, 2012.

Each successful applicant in the permit drawing will be notified by mail shortly after the drawing. It is very important that you provide a mailing address where you can be reached at this time.

Landowners will receive a letter indicating a requirement to attend a 3-hour training session offered by the Department. Upon completion of the training session, landowners will be given a deadline for responding with the appropriate permit fee, hunting license number, and an affidavit verifying that you meet the requirements and are eligible to receive a controlled moose hunt permit as a landowner. Permit fees are $52 for residents and $484 for nonresidents.

Registered Maine guides will receive a letter indicating a requirement to attend a 3-hour training session offered by the Department. Upon completion of the training session, guides will be given a deadline for responding with the appropriate permit fees, and names, contact information, and hunting license numbers of each of their three permittees. Permit fees are $52 for residents and $484 for nonresidents.

Applicants not selected in the drawing will NOT be notified.

The winners’ names will be posted on our website www.mefishwildlife.com.

All selections are final; permits may not be transferred or “swapped.”

HUNT TIMING

The controlled hunt will occur from August 20 through September 15, 2012.

Selected landowners and guides may hunt during the entire four-week period (excluding Sundays).

MOOSE REGISTRATION

All persons who kill a moose during the controlled hunt must take the animal to Ben’s Trading Post, 191 Parsons Road in Presque Isle where an agent will register it and attach a seal. In addition, the registration agent will collect a weight, pull a tooth, and collect other biological information as necessary.

MOOSE HUNTER QUESTIONNAIRE

All permit holders will be required to complete and return a questionnaire to the Department within 10 days of the end of the controlled hunt. The questionnaire will be mailed to permittees prior to the hunt and can be turned in to Ben’s Trading Post when a moose is registered or
mailed to the Department.

MISCELLANEOUS

Moose taken under these permits are in addition to the statewide bag limit.

Permits issued under this controlled hunt are exempt from the provisions of the moose permit point system of the recreational moose hunts.

A landowner who receives a controlled moose hunting permit must comply with a one-year ineligibility requirement.

Guides who receive controlled moose hunting permits must comply with the two-year ineligibility requirement outlined in 12 MRSA §11154, 5.

All other fees, laws, and rules relating to moose hunting will apply.

Attention: Following successfully completing your application, you will receive a confirmation number. This confirmation number will be your proof that your application was successfully completed.

If you are an eligible landowner and wish to apply for a permit, get started now

If you are an eligible guide and wish to apply for a permit, get started now.