Challenges to Maine Moose and the Moose Lottery System

The state of Maine contains more moose than any other state outside of Alaska, and thus a large number of people put in their name every year for the Maine moose lottery. The twenty-nine Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) in Maine take into consideration a number of variables when determining the annual number of tags to give out in each district, with population control a chief focus. As increased pressures from climate change and the prevalence of new parasites introduce new problems for Maine’s moose, it is the interest of this study to determine if Maine’s lottery system is allotting an appropriate number of tags in each district. Using results from an online survey in conjunction with outside data, we hope to bring a better understanding to the different stakeholders in the decision making process of Maine’s moose hunt and learn if some areas are receiving higher than sustainable allotments for harvesting, whether because of collisions with motorists, destruction of farmland, or revenues from the hunting and outdoors industry.