The 2026 Maine moose hunt application period is open for applicants to apply. Visit https://mooselottery.web.maine.gov/online/moose/ to get started. For more information on Maine moose hunting, go to www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/laws-rules/moose.html. There will be two seasons offered for bulls this year. The first season is bull only and runs from September 28 through October 3. The second season is October 12 through 17. The moose drawing will be held on June 20, and results will be available by 6 p.m. EDT that day. Those who do not attend the in-person drawing can view lottery results at mefishwildlife.com.
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Online applications must be completed by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on May 18, 2026. To apply online, go to www.maine.gov/online/moose/. You only front the application fees; you do not have to purchase a license or moose tag until you draw. You may only use a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover for payment. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) no longer offers a paper application method for the moose draw. All application fees are non-refundable. The license and permit fee are only required if you are successful in the draw. Maine does not allow hunters to apply as a party. You may apply for points only for $15.
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No more than 8% of the permits will be issued to non-residents. You may list up to ten units on your application. Hunters will be selected through a computerized random drawing. When your application is selected in the draw, they will go through all of your unit choices listed on the application before moving on to the next application. If any units listed on your application still have a non-resident tag available, you will be awarded that permit. Each successful applicant will be notified by mail and email within a few weeks of the drawing. Successful applicants have a designated period in which to purchase the permit.
All successful applicants will have their points purged regardless of whether or not they accept the permit. For areas with a September and October season, applicants can indicate they only want the October season. MDIFW will assign all applicants who do not indicate a season preference to the September season until all September permits are filled, at which point they will begin to fill the October season.
There is a three-year waiting period for anyone who has received a moose permit in Maine; however, those applicants are still eligible to apply for bonus points in 2026. The waiting period does not affect subpermittees, nor does it prohibit a hunter from being a subpermittee during their three-year waiting period.
At the time of application, each applicant may select one person as a subpermittee to participate in the moose hunt. An alternate subpermittee may also be designated at the time of application. Upon submitting their application to MDIFW, the permittee may change their subpermittee or alternate subpermittee until thirty days prior to the start of the moose hunting season for which the permit was issued. It is illegal to sell a subpermittee designation. A subpermittee is a person who can hunt with the permittee, and either the permittee or the subpermittee can kill the moose. Only one moose can be killed per permit, so the permittee and subpermittee must hunt together so they don’t both kill a moose.
Nonresidents may purchase as many chances in the draw as they wish. All chances purchased are non-refundable. Prices are listed under the 2026 nonresident fees table. Successful applicants who wish to purchase their $585 moose permit must also purchase a $115 hunting license.
Anyone born after 1976 must have successfully completed an approved hunter safety course or show proof of having previously held an adult license to hunt with firearms. To obtain an adult archery hunting license, you must show proof of having held an adult license to hunt with bow in any year after 1979 or successful completion of an archery education course. Anyone who hunts with species with a firearm or crossbow in a Wildlife Management District that is open to moose hunting must wear 2 pieces of solid-colored hunter orange clothing. This can include a hat, shirt, vest, etc. Hunter orange clothing is not required when hunting with a bow. When moose season overlaps with the firearms season on deer, then two pieces must be worn. All laws pertaining to deer hunting apply to moose hunters during these seasons. Sunday hunting is not allowed in Maine, so permit holders should take that into account when planning their hunt schedule.
Hunters under 10 years of age on the opening day of the moose season for which their permit is valid are not eligible to receive any moose hunting permit and are not eligible to hunt moose on a subpermittee designation. Youth 10 years of age and older may hunt if accompanied by an adult. The adult must be a parent, guardian, or person 18 years of age and older. Youth 10-15 must have completed hunter education or be in possession of a valid junior hunting license. Any person 16 and older must also possess a state-certified hunter education course.
Maine’s bonus point system started in 1998. Each bonus point accumulated gives the individual an additional chance in the drawing. Different from most other states, bonus points are accumulated.
0 to 5 Years of Application: 1 point per year
6 to 10 Years of Application: 2 points per year
11 to 15 Years of Application: 3 points per year
16+ Years of Application: 10 points per year
If you fail to apply or purchase bonus points for two consecutive years, you will forfeit your points.
At the time of print, we were unable to obtain accurate data on the number of applicants in 2025. For the most up-to-date data, visit https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/species/moose/moose-permit.html#controlledhunt. Traditionally, non-resident draw odds are <2% and resident draw odds hover around 10%. However, it must be noted that non-resident applicants can purchase as many chances for the lottery as they want, making the odds of drawing much worse than they may appear. That also means your odds increase with each chance you purchase.
There are no special youth permits or hunts for moose in Maine.
Moose may be hunted with a rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, bow and arrow, or crossbow. Firearms with .17 or .22 caliber rimfire cartridges may not be used for deer, moose, or bear hunting with the exception of a .22 magnum, which can be used for deer hunting. Shotguns using shot loads cannot be used to hunt bear or moose. It is unlawful to hunt with cartridges that contain tracer bullets or explosive bullets. Archery moose hunters must use a bow with a minimum draw weight of 45 pounds and broadhead arrows. Arrows (including expandable, mechanical broadheads) must be at least 7/8” in width. It is unlawful to use a set bow or to use arrows with poisonous or explosive tips. Changes to the bowhunting license and crossbow permit occurred in 2024. A bowhunting license is no longer required. A crossbow permit is no longer required, as an archery license holder may now use a bow or a crossbow. This also means that the use of crossbows in expanded archery areas during the expanded archery season is now permissible for any hunter who has an archery license and a crossbow permit (Crossbow use is no longer permissible during the muzzleloader season). Deer and moose decoys are legal, as are laser sights (red dots or beam) for firearms, crossbows, and bows. Electronic calling devices are legal for deer, bear, turkey, moose, and coyote but are illegal for migratory game birds.
Landowner tags are sometimes available in Maine. Contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for more information. Maine also auctions off 10 moose hunting permits to applicants who submit the highest bids through a written bid process. For 2026, the moose permit auction deadline of February 26 has already passed. Bids had to have been received at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 353 Water Street, Augusta, ME 04333. High bids usually come in around $25,000 to $30,000. If you are looking to bid, you must also include a non-refundable bid fee of $25.
MDIFW has allocated 5 moose hunting permits to disabled veterans for a controlled moose hunt in Aroostook County. Most of these permits will go to Maine residents with a valid disabled veteran hunting license, drawn randomly through the lottery. Some may be issued to Maine veterans outside of the lottery, and others may be issued to non-resident disabled veterans who possess a valid big-game hunting license and are sponsored by a National Veterans Organization. For more information, visit www.maine.gov/veterans.
All chances purchased as well as application and bonus point fees are non-refundable. You are not required to purchase your moose permit if successful. Moose permit winners are allowed to swap their moose permit with another moose permit winner. You may only swap once, and both moose permits must be paid for before the swap. Other than that, there are no restrictions on swapping. To swap, you must mail a letter with both moose permit numbers, permit types, seasons, WMDs, and a $7 check made out to Treasurer, State of Maine. The check must be sent to Moose Permit Swap, MDIFW, 353 Water Street, 41SHS, Augusta, ME 04333. The last day to submit your moose swap application is July 17, 2026. Two websites also exist to allow permit holders to connect with other permit holders to facilitate permit swaps.
First, the hunter must securely attach a plainly visible tag to the animal with their name, address, and license number on the tag. Then, the hunter must take the moose to a Registration Station to be registered. A list of Registration Stations can be found on Maine’s website at www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/registrations.html. Permit holders will receive a moose hunting survey card. All permit holders must complete and return that survey within ten days of the end of the moose season.
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The 2026 Maine Moose Hunter’s Guide was not available at the time of print, but you can view the 2025/2026 guide by going to https://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/Moose-Hunting-Guide.pdf.
North Maine Woods (NMW), Inc. is a private, non-profit organization that manages public use and access to 3.5 million acres of forest located north and west of Baxter State Park. Wildlife Management districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9 are either totally or partially within NMW management area. The region under NMW, Inc. management is primarily privately owned by families, corporations, and conservation organizations, and only about 5% is owned by the state of Maine. There is a small day-use fee for access and non-residents to access the property. For more information about North Maine Woods, Inc., go to www.northmainewoods.org.
Maine’s moose population is the largest in the Lower 48. Estimated at 60,000 to 70,000 animals, the majority of which are found in the northern and western portions of Maine. This presents an incredible hunting opportunity for those lucky enough to win a Maine moose permit. Where most other states are closing down their moose hunts due to population issues, Maine has recently instituted a few more antlerless hunts to maintain a better bull-to-cow ratio in some of the top units.
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