Contributors to this thread:
Who’s in hoping for a lightening strike tomorrow? I think I’m about 10 years deep, always maintaining a little hope just to get a reality check every year!
I'm in with my 100 bonus points
In, as always, (since 1980).
In, but I'm already going to Newfoundland this October so it could get interesting.
Best of luck - hope some of you land one!
I’m points only this year…enter next year and hope for the best. If not keep buyin points lol
I am 20 years in.........really hoping, drew VT a decade ago.
This was the first draw I put in for, started around 1999 or 2000
I'm in with points. I can hope.
20 years worth, I’m sure this is the year….!
I've been in it many years to but don't know exactly how many points I have, is there any way to tell your points total if you don't remember when you started? Most states have a link to indicate how many point applied but can't find a link on their website:
"2. Bonus points are awarded for each consecutive year the applicant has applied since 1998 and was not selected for a moose permit. Each bonus point accumulated gives the individual an additional chance in the drawing. Bonus points are accumulated as follows:
0 to 5 years = one point per year 5 to 10 years = two points per year 11 to 15 years = three points per year 16+ years = 10 points per year
3. Skip a year and not lose your bonus points. You can skip one year and keep your bonus points. However, you will lose your bonus points if you fail to apply or purchase bonus points in any 2 consecutive years."
It gives your point total when you apply. If you printed off your application it will be on there.
Hmmm, okay, I'll check, thanks...
What I saved do not indicate... I applied for a Bonus point on May 9, 2023:
"Number of Chances: 1 Chance ($15.00) - Bonus Point Only
Thank you for using the online Maine Moose Permit Lottery Application Service. Your confirmation number is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Please keep this confirmation number handy as you can use this number to log back into the site and edit any applicant contact details, subpermittee information, WMD selections, or season selections.
Please print this page for your records."
Zbone you only got the point, you didn’t enter the draw. According to that email.
Ohhhh... So ya actually have to apply for a permit to see your points? Thanks MA-PAdeerslayer...
I retired a month ago, I think I'll actually apply for a zone next year... Anybody willing to share the premium zones with public lands?
Zbone, Get on board and apply ! You cant win a tag if you don't enter. Compared to western draws it is pretty cheap. The percent of tags given to nonresidents is based on the percentage of big game licenses sold to nonresidents the previous year. Probably the fairest system I can think of. Get out a beverage and spend some time studying the website and the description of the multiple seasons and zones. Given enough time I am confident you could find a moose in almost any town in the state. But the population is much lower and sporadic in the southerly and down east coastal areas. It is simply habitat related. Those areas have substantially less heavy timber harvesting and corresponding browse. I would target units north of RT2 across to Bangor and north of RT9 to Calais. North of this line you have heavy timber harvesting with a high percentage of clear cuts or heavy cuts offering good habitat for the moose and visibility for the hunter. Having said that, many land owners are moving away from silvicultural clear cuts due to state harvest regulations. Once you get north of moose head lake and west of RT95 and the RT11 is part of the North Maine Woods. see the link. It is the largest undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi, 3.5 million acres plus surrounding acres not part of the NMW. This is a group of large private land owners who have joined together to share road expenses and operate a gate system to keep track of the general public using their land. The fees are very reasonable. Very few regulations, primarily zero ATV's, and limits on camper size, and no damn bicycles. They do provide a bunch of primitive camp sites with picnic tables and fire rings where you are allowed to have a camp fire. Generally no camp fires else where but you can camp about anywhere like off on side roads and unused landings. By in large this is private timberland and the roads are for commercial logging. The first thing they tell you on entry is get the hell out of the way when you see a log truck coming and sure as hell don't leave your vehicle parked in the traveled way(like if you see an animal and you need to quickly go shoot, these are private roads so you can legally shoot from the road). These log trucks are bigger and far heavier than is what is allowed on public roads. And there are no speed limits. Hence get out of the way of log trucks. In my opinion the North Maine Woods is far and away better than public lands. All the opportunity to hunt and fish and almost no bull shit. You will likely encounter company foresters and logging contractors and possibly a forest ranger or fish and game officer. But otherwise you should plan to be self reliant. It is a very good idea to bring more than one spare tire as the shale can eat tires. And bring extra fuel. There are no stores.
It is generally advised to hunt away from the handful of Indian ownerships. They are basically black holes as they are not governed by the state. In the north west side of the state is a research unit where they are trying to sharply reduce the moose population to see if they can break the cycle of the moose tick, a devastating parasite that is affecting the population. It is killing a lot of calves before they can become adults. Last year that unit had a fairly low hunter success rate, maybe a third of the surrounding units. The September seasons are the rut. The following seasons are strictly to spread out the hunters while achieving/allowing for the desired harvest numbers. As to public land ? it is far from the first place I would look for a moose. Yes there is some public land that is managed using timber harvesting. But in Maine and New Hampshire we have a tradition of permissive trespass. This means you can go on unimproved private land for hunting and recreation without seeking permission. Residents here are generally pretty free with advice and help to those lucky enough to draw a tag. But not quite so much with deer and over the counter tags.
Good luck to everyone tomorrow in the drawing. If anybody gets lucky and wants to ask more questions of me fire away. Erik
NR max point holder in despite pocket full of tags out West. I just don’t give up my spot for points only when it comes to OIL tags I’ll likely never draw lol. Too old to fritter away chances like that. Playin with house money anyway, after drawing NH in 2012 lol. But don’t care if I draw or not.
In for a point this year. I already have a CO antlerless moose tag for this fall.
Thank you much Erik... I use to study the units and apply yearly but never drew... So then a few years ago changed employers and decided to just build points until retirement... I debated whether to apply this year and decided to start applying again next year... Thanks again Erik...
Yep, thanks Erik. That’s some good info. Good luck in the draw.
From a strategy stand point you can either rank and only take your first ten choices of zones or rank the first ten but be willing take any other zone if that is what comes up. Obviously be willing to take any of the zones improves your chances substantially. But I am not willing to do that as I don't want to wait for such a tag and then draw a sucky unit where just seeing a moose is a success as apposed to the whole experience of hunting further north where there are an abundance of animals, and you can legitimately hold out for a "good one" if your so inclined. The unit I live in , #15, has several tags but due to the low numbers it is one of two units you get to hunt the entire month as apposed to one week. I would take a tag close to home but I have no desire to use up such a tag in the other unit like that. To give you some context. A local logger owns a 1,200 acre lot and has cut a bunch of wood off it and has a road circling this hill. His son is self employed who drew the tag. The son hunted three weeks without laying eyes on the resident cow. He finally had to get a bunch of his buddies (no comment on the legality) to help do a push put his tag on her. These southerly tags have much lower success as apposed to the northern units that are i the 60-80% range with rifle. I know a guide that works here in unit 15. He guided the 80 year old guy last year. He said the guy had difficulty getting around and seeing and blew the one chance he had with a nice big bull during that week he was hired. And he just didn't have the horse power to keep going. Watching a bull chase a cow during the rut is pretty damn exciting. Sort of like watching a buck chase a cow. Except they are 5-6 times as big and oblivious to you. One minute they are a 1/4 mile away and your sorry you missed out seeing them, and the next they are going by you full tilt and your thank full you are out of the way.
Results are posted… no dice for me, as expected!
From what I’ve heard from Mainers the points mean nothing. You can apply for 20 years and someone can get one in 3.
Yes, they’re bonus points. You can pull a tag year one, or never.
The way I understand it, (or think I do) the more points you have the better the chances as if say your name is in the same hat as a guy with one point, true lottery?
That’s correct, but the pool is so diluted that it’s basically a moot point. A Nonres can buy as many points as they want going into the draw every year… ridiculous system but have to play to win!
Yes but those points are not yours to keep if you don’t draw 160… I have 12 points currently, if I buy 200 next year I’ll have 222, but if you don’t draw I’ll only have 13 going in to next year. You don’t keep All the extra
22 years for me no tag this year! Oh well. Maybe next year. I was really hoping to let my son punch my tag. My father let me punch his tag in 2019.
Outfitter welfare stole my tag and put it for sale at $18,000. No doubt they’ll be back soon whining & begging for more liberal handouts.
Always fun to scan through the list of lucky winning names, which also confirms that about 50% of our hunters nowadays are ladies ;-)
Are those tags transferable?
—jim
Oh, I figured out, there is a “subpermittee” or some crap. Not exactly transferable per se.
—jim
Yea, subpermittee jim. My buddy’s dad put In for 40 years, drew a bull tag let my buddy shoot, few years later my buddy drew and surprised his dad and made him the subpermittee even they tho were super hampered by his access to get around but they eventually found one and he made his shot count too!
All of the welfare tags are transferable.
Okay, can somebody explain these "welfare" tags?
Zbone they allocate fifty tags for outfitters to sell at current market price. I do not know if they have to buy them or they just random draw the tags and give them away.
Took 20% of the NR quota for these.
Nothing here. Did not know about outfitter tags. Everyone else is doing it so sounds fair to me.
DonVathome, WTF ? what the hell is fair about diverting tags to outfitters ? Just because all the other states do something stupid isn't a good reason for this sate to follow suite. I dont begrudge an outfitter charging what ever fee they need to provide a service. But why should a single tag be allocated to subsidizing that industry? They should sink or swim based on customer demand. I would like to hear why I am wrong. I am sure if it is true somebody on Bowsite can tell me why. There is no shortage of opinionated people on this forum. Some even know what they are talking about!
Lol, ya since Maine peddles all the bonus points anyone wants that must be “fair” too. And it also sounds “fair” to me for all the other states to jump on board with that practice as well. To hell with those hunters that bought into a system then got thrown under the bus.
Every year Zim bellyaches about how unfair the Maine Moose permit lottery system is. One might think that they force him to participate.
Do you play lotto, power ball and mega millions and bitch about them too?
You’re like an abused woman who can’t leave. Walk away dude.
Ace, Lol why single me out??? There are thousands that recognize & call out Maine for what they are, tag pimps. Including others in this thread. The corrupt & unprofessional Maine legislators responsible for their fiasco of a system (like Troy Jackson) want the public to forget their behavior. But it’s burned in history for anyone who wants to dig it up. Maine legislators have chased away more sportsmen than any game lottery system in the country. That includes residents. Don’t believe me? Google it. It’s a clown show. The only reason I stay in is because I have max NR points and want my nephew, who is a Lewiston resident, to shoot my bull. Plus that tiny % of me that dreams good people will some day return their system to equitable.
BTW - It’s not like Jackson is the only corrupt politician I’ve kept exposed. Jerry Weiers in Arizona, Don Peay in Utah, Corey Rossi in Alaska, the xgun DWI Gang of Four in Indiana, Jerry Costello in Illinois, Ravin in Iowa, etc, etc all want you to forget their shame, and have their names swept under the rug. Leaving their legacy of wildlife exploitation just to fill their pockets with coin. Sorry to outfitters, special interest groups, & folks like you on here that have a vested financial interest, but that just ain’t gonna happen.
I was totally joking, sarcastic about my outfitter tag comment:)
