This story was first published on June 21, 2025.
The chances of drawing a permit in the Maine moose lottery are slim, even if you’re a resident.
In 2025, there were 76,217 moose lottery applications and 4,105 permits issued. Resident applicants had about a 1-in-10 chance of drawing a permit, while nonresidents faced odds of roughly 1 in 70.
While many people wait years to draw a permit in Maine, there are options if you want to pursue this species out of state.
Alaska is the only state with over-the-counter opportunities for both residents and non-residents. Most game management units in Alaska offer over-the-counter harvest permits, which require a harvest ticket for a general hunt or a registration permit in a registration hunt area. Registration hunts require you to register in advance of the hunt, and some units have limited harvest quotas.
Most general season or registration hunts in Alaska require bulls to have one of the following: a minimum 50-inch inside antler spread, spike-fork antlers on at least one side, or three or four brow tines on one side of the antler. These restrictions apply unless any bull is specified, and hunters must complete an online antler orientation.
A harvest or registration permit is free, but non-residents must purchase a $160 hunting license and a moose locking tag, which is $800. U.S. citizens do not need a guide to hunt moose in Alaska.
Hunters who don’t draw in Maine can also apply for moose permits in several other states, including New Hampshire and Vermont. Limited draws are also available in several western states including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Many of these states only offer once-in-a-lifetime permits that can take years of accumulating points to draw.
In Canada, moose hunting as a U.S. resident generally requires using a guide or outfitter, and over-the-counter tags are not available unless you’re associated with a licensed outfitter or an immediate family member of a resident tag-holder.