Maine Moose Permit 2012

Maine Moose Permit 2012, Since 1980 (save a one-year hiatus in 1981), Mainers and nonresidents alike have sent in their entry fees, crossed their fingers and waited to see whether their name is drawn in the state’s annual moose permit lottery.

And since 1980, some have grumbled about the process, claiming, “there’s no way I’m ever gonna win.”

Of course, that hyperbole. There is a way you’re going to win. And it all starts with this: If you want to have a shot at winning the hunt of a lifetime, you’ve got to keep playing. Even when you’re frustrated. Even when you’re angry. Even if there’s “no way you’re ever gonna win.”

Because as Mark Ostermann of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife points out, there is a chance that you’ll win. And the more times you’ve entered the lottery consecutively, the better your chance becomes.

Want a number to chew on? Try this: If you’re a Maine resident who has been putting your name in the computer-hopper for the past 14 years (the first year that “preference points,” or extra chances, were awarded for consecutive years of unsuccessful participation), you’ve got a very, very good chance of going on a moose hunt this fall.

How good? Well, you’ve got a 33.9 percent chance, if you’ve been playing the game since 1998 and have never been drawn. Of course, that also means that you’ve got a 66.1 percent chance of not going hunting on your own permit, but the odds are still better than the 1.5 percent shot a first-time prospective Maine hunter has this year. (Lewiston Sun Journal)