The lottery to hunt for moose in Maine is now open until May 12, the state announced Tuesday. 

The number of permits available varies year to year. In 2021, Maine residents had about a 1 in 13 chance of winning a permit in the lottery, while nonresidents had less than a 1 in 70 chance, according to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website. 

The state received 71,966 applications and issued 3,968 permits in last year’s lottery. Ninety percent of permits go to Maine residents, with 8% for nonresidents and 2% for hunting lodges. 

People can also buy permits at a competitive auction, or can enter the lottery to hunt in the adaptive management zone west of Baxter State Park, where the state is testing strategies to lessen the harmful effects of ticks on moose by thinning the density of the herd. 

Hunters who enter the lottery can indicate whether they’d like to kill a deer with or without antlers, where in the state they want to hunt and in what season. People who don’t win the lottery are encouraged to enter multiple years in a row; entrants who are not selected many years in a row will accrue bonus points that can weigh their application for selection later on.

The drawing for the 2022 hunt will take place in June.