Moose lottery is June 11

Annual permit drawing to be held in Kittery

This year’s Maine’s moose permit lottery will be held on Saturday, June 11 at Kittery Trading Post in Kittery.

A total of 2,140 names will be drawn in the random chance lottery from a pool of over 55,000 applicants.

The festivities kick off at 9 a.m. Food will be available from Kittery Trading Post’s new “Lobster Pot” restaurant, located on the patio and over one dozen local vendors will be on site offering everything from guided hunting trips to handmade crafts and goods. Staff from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, including local biologists and game wardens, will be on hand at the event.

At 2 p.m., the drawing will commence with the announcement of the name of the first hunter fortunate enough to be selected.

Since 1999, the department has rotated the lottery throughout the state. Prior to 1999, it was always held in Augusta. In more recent years, lotteries have been held in Scarborough, Oquossoc, Greenville, Presque Isle and Bethel. The drawing is held in different areas of the state so that people can have the opportunity to be part of it first hand.

For those who can’t make it to this year’s drawing, the names of permit winners will be posted on the department’s website starting at 6 p.m. June 11. Visit www.mefishwildlife.com to access the list once it has been posted.

There is no charge to attend the event at Kittery Trading Post. In the past, the reading of names has lasted approximately three to four hours. The venue is located at 301 U.S. Route One in Kittery.

For more information on moose hunting in Maine, visit www.mefishwildlife.com.