A lot of shooters got antlerless deer permits in August through a drawing held by the state and by buying one in September. Now, shooters might be able to get a third permit if they buy one online at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 1.
WMD 21 has 7,245 permits available, WMD 22 has 7,200, WMD 23 has 9,236 permits, WMD 24 has 8,257 permits, WMD 25 has 12,717 permits, and WMD 29 has 2,043 permits. In the second round of permits, these Wildlife Management Districts can get them. It adds up to 46,698.
The state raised the total number of passes from 2023 to now by about 20,000. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says that hunters don’t have to use the lottery pass before using any other permits they’ve bought.
In order to make sure that enough deer are killed to keep the herd healthy, the state has let registered hunters buy extra deer permits without antlers after the lottery drawing for the last few years.
There is a $2 processing fee on top of the $12 of the extra passes. The permit money is used to buy and take care of places where deer spend the winter, mostly in northern Maine.
If there are any extra permits available in November, shooters might be able to buy more. The resident firearms season starts on November 2.
When you go online to buy an extra permit, you will need to have your hunting license number, your chosen wildlife management district, your name and date of birth as they appear on your license, and your credit card information ready.
First-come, first-served will be how permits are given out. People who want to buy passes have to wait in line, which is a kind of waiting room for the state. People will be let out of line in the order they started. To keep the ticket system from crashing, only a certain number of people will be able to use it at once.
There is no point in getting in line early since the system will pick the order at random. People who come in after 9:30 will be served in the order that they arrive. If you look at your screen again after 9:30 and still don’t see a green “Purchase Permit” button, try again. Click on “Purchase Permit” and then click on “Extra Permits.”