The numbers are in, and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officials have announced that a record number of moose were taken by hunters during the 2012 Maine moose-hunting sessions.
According to a DIF&W press release, 2,895 of 3,725 permit-holders — 78 percent — were successful in 2012. The department says that’s a 12 percent increase from 2011, when temperatures were warmer and moose-hunting was more demanding.
A further breakdown: Of the moose hunters who participated in “traditional” moose hunting areas in northern Maine, 81 percent were successful.
Those hunters who had permits in the more southerly zones — Wildlife Management Districts 15, 16, 22, 23, 25 and 26 — found the hunting tougher: Only 18 percent of those hunters were successful.
The DIF&W announced that a total of 11 bulls, all taken in far northern Maine, weighed in at more than 1,000 pounds. One of those moose had antlers with a 66-inch spread, and 17 bulls had spread in excess of 60 inches.
Successful hunters can find out the age of each moose taken at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/
For more information on moose hunting in Maine, go to www.mefishwildlife.com.