Skip Trask’s Testimony on behalf of the Maine Professional Guides Association

The MPGA believes the entire moose lottery system should be reviewed. We think there are a lot of things that could be done to improve it. At the same time, we strongly support the concept of setting aside some number of moose hunting permits for guides.

What would qualify a guide to be eligible to apply for these permits is likely to generate a lot of debate. Obviously, we would prefer that as many of our members as possible be eligible. However, if the committee is inclined to move forward with one of these bills, in some form, we’ll be delighted to work with you on the logistics.

We’d also want assurances from the Department that any increase in the number of moose hunting permits resulting from these bills would not adversely impact our moose herd. In addition, we feel very strongly that any revenue generated from permits issued to guides should be dedicated specifically to moose management, including a much-needed up-to-date and reliable census of the moose herd.

The idea of allocating permits to guides is not new. Several times in the past, the MPGA has sent delegations to Augusta, hat in hand, asking the Department and the Legislature to consider setting aside a small number of moose hunting permits for licensed guides to pass along to their clients – a common practice that has worked extremely well in other states.

The response, however, was always the same. There has always been a strong reluctance to offer moose permits to guides when so many Maine hunters have applied faithfully every year for a permit and never been selected.

I understand that reluctance. We’re all sympathetic to residents who want desperately to go moose hunting and have never had the opportunity. In spite of that, we still issue 10% of the permits to nonresidents, primarily because it brings in megabucks in application fees. The two bills being considered here today give you the chance to further increase Department revenues, and, at the same time, do something beneficial for guides.

These guides are small business owners, and they are struggling. Some have already been forced to close their doors, and others are barely hanging on.

The deer herd in northern and eastern Maine, as well as in our western mountains, is pretty much gone. One small, top-quality sporting camp in the Patton area that has historically booked over 100 deer hunters a year, had 6 deer hunters in camp this past fall.

The same story is being repeated over and over in areas where local economies have relied heavily for decades on the dollars spent by non-resident deer hunters. If something doesn’t change soon, that way of life will disappear. Bear hunting is the only thing that has allow3ed many guides to stay in business.

Moose hunting could also play a role in keeping these businesses solvent, but the only way it will work is to get some of the permits directly into the hands of guides. Many guides have a list clients who have promised to book a moose hunt “if they ever get drawn for a permit,” but it’s impossible to operate a successful guide service when you have to rely on a low-odds lottery for your clients.

That’s why many guides have never really geared up for moose hunting – it’s too much of a gamble. If they could acquire some permits, they could offer a moose hunt to some of those on their client list and be assured of having moose hunters in camp each fall. It would help make up for all the deer hunting clients they’ve lost. It would also benefit other small businesses in the area.

LDs 450 and 163 give you the opportunity to do something beneficial for the Maine moose herd through better management and, at the same time, provide assistance to small business owners throughout rural Maine who are hunting.