Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 10 : Fall 2011 | Page 62
Moose Hunting In Maine
by Warden Kevin Pelkey
Since 1980 the one thing that seems to be the most
coveted by a Maine hunter is the Maine moose hunting
permit. During the early 1900’s moose populations in
Maine had dropped to only a couple thousand due to
changes in habitat, uncontrolled hunting pressure and
market hunting. In 1935 all legal moose hunting in Maine
was closed. In 1980, forty-five years later, moose hunting
in Maine again became legal through a permit system.
Only seven hundred permits were issued in this first hunt.
After thirty-one years of hunting, the moose population
has continued to rebound, and this year 3,862 permits
have been issued throughout the state. The moose hunt is
now a successful management tool, allocating set numbers
of permits in specific areas to better control the balance
between the desire of Maine residents to view moose and
the public safety concerns of car moose collisions. The
permits are issued through a lottery type system and are
specific to the dates, geographical area of the state, and the
gender of the moose that may be hunted.
Much thought and effort should be put into a
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moose hunt, but the result could easily be memories that
last a lifetime and enough meat to feed a household. As
the season approaches there are many sportsmen anxiously
planning their upcoming hunt. Whether it be booking
with a guide, scouting locations, sighting in their rifles, or
practicing their moose calling skills. The moose hunt occurs
through different phases of the moose rut or breeding time.
During this time moose can be very vocal and on the move
looking for a mate. With proper scouting, calling to moose
can be a very exciting and productive experience. The hunter
in search of a bull or male moose makes calls resembling the
sound a female moose makes when looking to mate. If
conditions are right, this can lure in a bull moose.
There are also many reputable guides in the
state that can be booked for the hunt. Many offer good
accommodations and a local knowledge of the area moose
herd. Moose are large animals and can present a daunting
task once it comes time for field dressing and removing the
animal from the field. Being properly equipped, with both
knowledge and equipment, can make this task go much