Originally published on July 16, 1980, the day after Maine’s first modern moose hunt lottery was held in Bangor.
“I expected I’d be lucky if I even heard someone’s name that I knew,” said Gary Cain of Caribou, the first name selected in Tuesday’s moose lottery.
Cain, a 24-year-old salesman for WAGM radio in Presque Isle, was watching the live telecast from his home and he said he was in a state of disbelief, when he heard his name called first.
The surprised and happy hunter had two chances at winning since a friend, Alan Willey of Caribou, listed Cain as his second in the hunt. Cain said he has seen several moose near his home, but the short, five-day season will force him to have “to hunt them.”
The gala planned for the much-celebrated lottery held at the Bangor Civic Center never came off.
Officials at the Civic Center had set up some 1,000 chairs and the local police department showed up ready to accommodate a full house included a mix of both hunters and those against the moose hunt.
As expected, 700 winners were announced for the moose hunt, however, from that point the numbers did not reach the expected high. In fact, there were more people in attendance outside the auditorium complex listening to the weekly band concert than there were inside at the lottery.
By showtime of the event, which was telecast live by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, only 60 people had assembled in the spacious Civic Center. Media personnel, policemen and guests on the telecast, which was hosted by NEWS outdoor editor Bud Leavitt, brought the total attendance to almost 100.
The people who did show up stated surprise at the small showing. Most of the interested parties must have watched the telecast at home. The show was expected to provide MPBN’s largest audience ever.
The anti-moose forces showed up just before the show began, however their small numbers hardly caused the disturbance which was anticipated by some, including the police.
Altogether, five plain-clothes protesters assembled at the Civic Center along with another one who was attired in a moose costume.
Leah Girardin of Waterville designed and created the fashionable moose suit which included a head made of papier mache, horns of burlap with wire frames and a brown flannel suit. She carried a sign which read “Smooch a Moose Goodbye” and she had a “No Hunting” sign hanging from her neck.
The real excitement of the evening, for the media anyway, came when Glenn Manuel, commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, confronted the six protestors.
The commissioner, speaking in defense of the moose hunt, said the main purpose of the hunt is to provide biologists with specimens of moose to study in hopes of improving the health of the Maine herds.
The other demonstrators who bore signs saying “Stop The Slaughter Lottery,” and “There’s No Winner In This Lottery,” did not seem to accept what Manuel told them.
“I think the lottery is obnoxious and there is no reason they have to kill the moose in order to study them,” said Bob Weingarten of Vienna, representing The Animal Alert Network of Augusta.
Weingarten said that his group had more than 125 members. He also said some of his fellow demonstrators represented Mainers for Wildlife, an Orono group with some 200 members.
Weingarten gave no explanation as to why more of the members of the groups were not at the lottery. The demonstrators did carry with them a petition of 500 Mainers who are against the killing of moose, and he also said that the anti-moose hunt groups have been fighting the issue for years, not just Tuesday evening.
One man in the audience, who later said he was a hunter, said to a companion at the lottery, “It was worth it to come down here just to see these nuts.”
The small gathering of spectators sat back in their seats, calmly awaiting the start of the drawing. There was no crowd response as the names of the winners were called off, all wanting to hear their name.
More than 32,000 Mainers filed an application with the Wildlife department, which generated at least $160,000 with the initial $5 application fee.
Those lottery winners must purchase a Maine hunting license which costs $9.50 and then buy a moose license from the Wildlife department for $10. If the hunter or his designated assistant bags a moose, it will cost another $10 to tag the animal. The total cost is $34.50 for the successful hunter.