Maine’s antlerless deer allow lottery winners will probably be introduced Tuesday
Maine deer hunters with hopes of harvesting each a buck and a doe through the upcoming season will probably be feverishly looking the checklist on Tuesday when the Maine Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife releases the outcomes of the antlerless allow lottery.
Outcomes of the random drawing will probably be obtainable at 9 a.m. at bangordailynews.com and on the DIF&W web site at mefishwildlife.com.
Lottery outcomes will embody the winners’ first and final title, city of residence, the Wildlife Administration District the allow is for and looking license quantity.
Antlerless lottery permits have to be claimed and paid for ($12 allow, $2 agent charge) by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 12. Recipients will then obtain their allow quantity.
Any permits not claimed by the recipient by the deadline will probably be forfeited. Allow recipients will obtain their allow quantity upon cost to assert it.
In the event you weren’t chosen within the lottery you’ll nonetheless have a chance to pursue one of many additional permits. That features permits that weren’t awarded in zones the place there have been extra permits than candidates.
Additional permits will probably be obtainable for buy on-line solely on a first-come, first-served foundation starting Sept. 19.
All proceeds from the antlerless permits go to the Maine Deer Administration Fund, which helps finance the acquisition and administration of deer wintering areas, primarily in northern Maine. These areas embody vital habitat for white-tailed deer, which use them through the winter to keep away from harsh winds and deep snow.
This 12 months, the state will problem as many as 108,070 permits to shoot antlerless deer. It’s a part of a administration initiative designed to decrease deer densities in city areas of southern and central Maine the place the big variety of animals trigger extra car collisions and different conflicts with people.
The variety of permits obtainable in 2023 is 5 % greater than in 2022. The rise is meant to offset the variety of permits that will probably be awarded, however not claimed and paid for by hunters.
Underneath a revamped course of initiated by DIF&W in 2022, hunters who obtain a allow are allowed to reap an antlerless deer in a chosen WMD, and in addition could take an antlered deer anyplace in Maine through the season.
That change was made to encourage hunters to take an antlerless deer moderately than passing on that chance in favor of capturing a buck. It proved profitable, as Maine exceeded its grownup doe harvest goal of 13,807 final 12 months when hunters shot 13,883 grownup females.
The transfer additionally performed a task within the total statewide deer harvest as hunters killed a report 43,787 deer final 12 months, a rise of 12.4 % over the 38,947 taken in 2021.
Antlerless deer permits might not be swapped or transferred.
