Maine Moose Lottery Names Thousands of Winners at Outdoor Festival

FARMINGTON, Maine (WGME) — The results are in for the Maine Moose Permit Lottery, and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts celebrated at the High Peaks Outdoor Heritage Festival on Saturday.

The festival, held at the Farmington Fairgrounds, marked its inaugural event, focusing on Maine’s rich outdoor heritage. The much-anticipated moose lottery took place at 1 p.m., drawing a crowd of hopeful hunters and curious onlookers.

This year, approximately 4,000 winners were announced from a pool of over 70,000 applicants. The lottery is known for its excitement, as applicants vie for a limited number of permits to hunt the state’s moose.

In 2024, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued 4,105 permits total, which included 2,645 permits for antlered moose and 1,460 for antlerless moose. This year’s results reflect a similar trend of high participation.

The Maine Moose Permit Lottery is a central event in the state’s hunting calendar, and its celebration of wildlife and outdoor adventure resonated with festival goers.