03/25/2026
We need your support to help this pass!
**MPGA ACTION ALERT: MOOSE LEGISLATION**
Dear Members,
Over the last many months, MPGA’s Moose Committee has been working diligently to advocate for reasonable changes to Maine’s “hunting outfitter moose lodge tag” program, which allows eligible hunting outfitters/sporting camps to apply for a moose permit that they can then sell to a client.
The original intent of the program was to support traditional sporting camps who experienced significant economic hardships during downturn of the deer population in the historically severe winters in the 2007-2009 timeframe.
TO BE CLEAR, MPGA SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM.
However, over the years the program has demonstrated that despite its original intentions, it also delivers some unanticipated outcomes for guides that are not eligible to receive these permits, such as:
Making businesses that are not sporting camps and do not regularly offer moose hunting services and are not located in moose hunting WMDs eligible at the expense of true sporting camps;
Consuming ALL non-resident tags from some WMDs and seasons which then eliminates any opportunity for ineligible guides to market their services to non- residents;
Allowed for unfettered buying/selling/swapping of tags from the lodge tag lottery to the general moose lottery.
To that end, MPGA’s goal is to seek some reasonable changes to the program that allow for more fairness and transparency amongst those that are eligible for this program, guides that are not, and resident and non-resident moose hunters alike.
The legislation, LD 2054, has been voted out of the Legislature’s IFW Committee 12-1 ought to pass as amended. We are grateful to the committee members that voted in favor of the legislation (please thank them when you see them!).
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Professional Guides Association and other important stakeholders SUPPORT the amended version of the bill and we are asking for YOUR help in expressing your SUPPORT to your legislators.
What does the amended legislation do?
Tightens the definition of eligible “hunting outfitter” to w**d out businesses who were never intended to be eligible for this program and do not regularly offer guided hunting services;
Provides preference for camps and lodges who wish to hunt in the WMD where their facility is located;
Tightens the rules around buying/bartering/selling permits;
Allows for lodge tags to be swapped with other lodge tags OR in the general lottery ONLY for purposes of swapping for a tag back to your own WMD;
Prohibits selling of subpermittee designations.
Unfortunately, a small group of opponents working hard to kill the bill, which will only prolong and compound the concerns with this program. If you are a guide who cares about seeing reasonable reforms briefs to this program, please contact your legislators (phone calls are always most effective but emails are important as well) and encourage them to support the majority ought to pass as amended report on LD 2054!
Thank you for your support!
Find your State Representative:
https://legislature.maine.gov/house/MemberProfiles/ListAlphaTown
Find your State Senator:
https://legislature.maine.gov/senate-home-page/find-your-state-senator
