BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 1, 2026
Maine’s annual moose hunting permits (tags) are a highly sought-after commodity. So how they are distributed gets a lot of attention. The concept of setting aside tags for lodges and outfitters dates back about a decade, when northern Maine’s deer population declined and many outfitters struggled financially. The goal was to help them regain economic footing. Some outfitters, however, began selling the tags to clients for prices exceeding $30,000. The lodge tag process expanded beyond its original intent. Restaurants, hotels and even a nudist colony in southern Maine reportedly applied for and received a lodge tag. LD 2054 would tighten the definition of hunting outfitters and prohibit the sale of lodge tags to anyone other than the hunter. As for the nudist colony that drew a lodge tag, eligible members would still have to don an orange vest and cap. ~ V. Paul Reynolds