PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 10, 2022
On Oct. 5, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife failed to execute its online process to distribute extra antlerless deer permits. Thousands of Maine sportsmen eagerly awaited the first-come, first-served opportunity to purchase a permit – taking time from their daily schedules and some taking time off from work, they attempted to log in to the DIF&W website at 9 a.m. as directed. The site did not work. Finally, after over an hour of mass frustration, DIF&W issued a brief email saying the site crashed and they did not know why. They plan another attempt on Oct. 11. DIF&W owes all Mainers a detailed explanation of how this failure occurred. Saying “we don’t know what happened” isn’t enough. ~ Paul Michaels, Kennebunk