Maine Moose Hunts
Guided Moose Hunts in WMD 19, 27 & 28
Guided Moose Hunts are offered in Maine’s wildlife management districts (zones) 19, 27 and 28. These areas are all located in eastern Maine, commonly referred to as Downeast. Moose hunts are only available by lottery. Each year approximately 3,000 lucky permit holders are drawn and assigned a hunting area, bull or cow tag, and hunting week. Hunts are 6 days in duration, Monday through Saturday. The Moose hunting lottery is conducted in June each year with the application deadline in mid-May. For WMD maps, permit information and to apply online visit Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.
If you have not seen a moose in the wild this will be an experience of a lifetime! Moose hunting can be done in many ways but some of the more common moose hunting tactics involve calling and glassing previously scouted chopping’s and cut over areas that are 2-3 years old. Calling moose near bogs and wetland areas is also effective from natural blinds.
Much of eastern Maine is a mix of timber and open agriculture areas that moose inhabit. The areas will be pre-scouted thoroughly prior to your arrival. There are miles and miles of dirt roads that may be driven in search of moose as well. It is common for moose to utilize the dirt road networks for their travel. It is also possible to come upon moose engaged in battle or preparing to fight or see evidence of this having happened in the road. When possible in certain WMD’s it may be practical to utilize watercraft to hunt waterways.
Once a suitable moose is located I will work to get you as close as I can for a clean ethical shot. The work begins when the moose is down. Once the animal is legally tagged there will be time for photos. The moose needs to be field dressed quickly to start the cooling off process and prevent spoilage. When possible the entire moose will be removed from the woods whole, packed with ice and transported to the tagging station. Occasionally the moose may need to be quartered and removed from the woods that way.