The shocking amount 10 people paid to hunt moose in Maine

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor

One hunter bid more than $35,000 for the chance to hunt a moose in Maine this year.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife auctions 10 moose hunting permits annually, giving hunters another way to obtain a permit beyond the state’s public lottery. The sealed-bid auction allows successful bidders to purchase permits, with proceeds supporting youth conservation programs.

The state received 24 bids in its 2026 moose permit auction, with the highest reaching $35,055, according to records obtained by the Bangor Daily News through a Freedom of Access Act request.

The highest bid was $9,132 more than the highest bid five years ago, when a hunter offered $25,923.

Maine’s moose permit auction began in 1995 after the Legislature authorized the program to raise money for youth conservation education.

What hunters paid for Maine moose permits 

The 2026 auction received 24 bids, ranging from $2,000 to $35,055. The table below compares the 2026 auction with the previous five years, including the highest bid and combined total of the top 10 bids. 

How Maine’s moose permit auction works 

Hunters submit bids without knowing what other applicants have offered. After the deadline, the department opens the bids and notifies applicants of the results.

Successful bidders must pay their full bid amount and select an available wildlife management district, hunting week and permit type. Auction permit holders are subject to the same hunting rules and requirements as other moose permit holders.

Hunters can enter both the public moose permit lottery and the auction, but they can receive only one permit. If an auction bidder is selected through the public lottery, the bidder becomes ineligible for the auction and receives a refund of the bid and bidding fee.

Where the money goes

The auction supports youth conservation education in Maine, including scholarships for children to attend conservation camps. The proceeds also help cover the cost of administering the permit issuance process.

In 2025, the auction raised $270,030, according to MDIFW.

The department provided scholarship funding for approximately 450 campers that year. Two organizations received funding: Maine Youth Fish and Game and the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers.

The scholarships help Maine children ages 8 to 17 attend conservation camps, where they learn fishing, hunter safety, archery and outdoor survival, along with wildlife and habitat conservation and responsible outdoor recreation.

The department also used $25,000 to coordinate youth outdoor skills events around the state.

MDIFW plans to continue funding camp scholarships in 2026 and use any remaining money for youth outdoor skills events throughout Maine.

The department’s Youth Conservation Camp Grants program provides information about eligibility and curriculum requirements.

What the law requires 

Maine law authorizes the auction to fund youth conservation education and directs the revenue, including bidding fees, into a dedicated, nonlapsing account. The money can support youth conservation education programs and the costs of administering the permit issuance process.

The requirements are outlined in Title 12, Section 11154(11) and Title 12, Section 10206(8).