What you can, and can't, do with your Maine moose permit

A Maine moose permit comes with strict rules about how it can be used, swapped, or deferred. After being drawn in the lottery, a permit holder must pay $52 (Maine residents) or $585 (nonresidents) in addition to the lottery entry fee. Under state rules, a moose permit may be swapped with another hunter, and in rare cases it may be transferred to a family member. The permit holder is one of only two people allowed to carry a firearm and hunt, the other being the designated sub-permittee, who may not hunt unless the holder is present. The holder can authorize an alternate sub-permittee to participate in place of the original one, with written notice to the MDIFW at least five business days before the hunt.

Rules also prohibit selling the sub-permittee slot, a Class E crime, and only one swap is allowed, requiring both permits to be paid beforehand. The two people involved must contact one another directly to arrange the exchange, with no third-party compensation. A signed swap letter or the moose swap application, plus a $7 swap fee, makes the arrangement official. The MDIFW commissioner may grant a deferral for severe illness or military service, typically for one year, and under extenuating circumstances may allow a transfer to a family member if the permit holder cannot pursue the hunt.