For the 2025 Maine moose hunt, the harvest numbers are in. About 57% of the 4,075 moose hunters who received permits filled their tags. It’s the lowest success rate in the past five years when the average hovered around 60%.
In a recent article, the Bangor Daily News reported, “Overall, nine districts posted year-over-year increases in success rates, while five declined and four were unchanged.”
The average age of tagged moose last fall was 4.4 years, with a statistical trend toward younger moose in the harvest.
Which wildlife management districts proved most productive? The northernmost WMDs — 1, 2, 5 and 6 — accounted for about half of the statewide moose kill. WMD 6 posted a 78% success rate during the October antlerless-only season.
Despite warmer weather early in the season, September and October bull hunters posted nearly identical success rates statewide. September bull hunters averaged about 54.5%, compared with about 55.1% for October bull hunters. Even so, October bull hunts recorded higher success rates in seven of the 11 wildlife management districts that offered both September and October seasons.
For me, the most eye-catching statistic from the 2025 tally was the sharp decrease in harvest numbers during the final year of the experimental Adaptive Unit cow hunt. Hunter success rates in that unit dropped from 52% in 2021 to just 27% last year.
Maine moose biologist Lee Kantar attributes the reduced harvest numbers more to hunting conditions — warm and dry weather — and low kill ratios in the Adaptive Unit than to any statewide population decline.
I asked Kantar why the Adaptive Unit hunt success rate was so low.
“Is it less moose, hunter effort, weather or some other factors?” he said. “I can tell you that when we fly the helicopter post-hunt survey, moose are there. More moose in the southwest than the southeast. More moose in the northwest than the northeast. More moose south than north. But in some years we had higher success in the northern part of the Adaptive hunt, which is interesting since we count more in the south. Then again, it is all related to habitat and how that lies on the landscape.”
The five-year experimental Adaptive Unit cow hunt has now officially ended. Kantar will submit a report with his findings this summer. As for the tick study, he said it will take a new tack and concentrate on forest management and how it relates to the moose-tick issue.
As one of the permitted cow hunters in last fall’s Adaptive Unit hunt, I was lucky enough to be among the 27% who filled a tag. While scouting ahead of the season, a cynical guide smirked and said, “Good luck with that hunt. You might as well stay home and buy a beef critter.”
I confess it was a tough slog. But late in the week we caught a break. Advance scouting, good advice from guides and others in the know — plus a little luck — made the difference.
If you’re fortunate to draw a Maine moose permit in June, do your homework and put in the time before fall. There are no guarantees, but due diligence gives you a leg up.
