The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has set the number of moose permits for each wildlife management district for the 2026 hunt. The permit allocations were finalized Wednesday in a rule filed with the secretary of state.
One notable change is the removal of the adaptive hunt unit in Wildlife Management District 4. Last year, 1,050 permits were issued in WMD 4, including 550 allocated across three hunt weeks in the adaptive hunt unit as part of a research project studying moose density and winter tick impacts.
For 2026, the adaptive hunt unit has been eliminated and WMD 4 returns to the regular hunt structure, with 400 antlered permits and 250 antlerless permits allocated in the district.
A total of 3,705 permits will be issued statewide, including 2,645 antlered and 1,060 antlerless permits. The specific hunt dates are not yet listed on the department’s website.
The department adjusts the number of annual moose permits in each wildlife management district using data on the state’s herd, including helicopter surveys that estimate moose numbers and herd composition, hunter success rates, reproduction rates and the ages of moose harvested in the previous season.
The department also did not move forward with a proposal that would have added a September bull moose hunt in wildlife management districts 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17. The idea was intended to spread hunters out and better align the hunt with the rut, but it drew strong opposition from businesses and residents in the Moosehead Lake region.
The state will begin accepting moose permit applications April 1 through its online system. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. May 15.
The annual moose permit drawing will take place June 20 at the Acton Fairgrounds in Acton.
Susan Bard is the Bangor Daily News outdoors editor. She has worked in wildlife biology for agencies across the country on various research and management projects, and is also a registered Maine Guide... More by Susan Bard