Maine Seeks Input on Whether Moose Hunt Should Be Changed

For many people in and around Maine, hunting season is an annual tradition that gets them as excited as Christmas Day. For those who truly enjoy the sport, entering the moose lottery is more exciting than playing the Megabucks.

But over the last several years, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have received more complaints than ever during hunting season, especially when it comes to hunting moose.

Those complaints have ranged from hunters abusing privileges on private property to verbal and physical disagreements between hunters and hunting groups over a specific moose they're looking to nab.

Those disputes have led the state to seek public input on what rule changes should be implemented for moose hunting season in Maine, while also asking whether or not the moose hunt should take a break altogether. The responses have been rather interesting so far.

Maine Hunters Want Some Moose Rules Changed

Inside the comments section of the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website, hunters in the state sounded off on a pair of rules that they want to see changed.

The first rule? Limit the amount of out-of-staters who are allowed to hunt moose in Maine. There has long been a demand for in-state residents to be awarded the chance to hunt a moose, and some have waited decades for their names to be called.

Speaking of years, the second rule Maine hunters want changed is the wait between tags. Most of the commenters believe there should be a 10-year waiting between tags to allow more hunters the chance to experience a moose hunt.

The Majority of Commenters in Maine Want the Moose Hunt Outlawed

As of this writing, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had received nearly triple the amount of comments from state residents who want the moose hunt severely reduced or outlawed altogether.

Most of the Maine residents commenting are worried about tick-borne illnesses devastating the population. One resident even proclaimed that they've seen more dead moose in the last decade than they've seen moose alive, and fear one of the key symbols of the state will disappear sooner rather than later.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife continues to welcome community feedback as they gather information on what (if any) changes will take place for the moose hunt in Maine moving forward.