AUGUSTA – Out of 24,040 turkey hunters, 15,600 were awarded turkey permits Tuesday morning in a random chance drawing.

The drawing for bearded turkey permits only took place at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife headquarters.

This year, 43 percent of the applicants applied online for their turkey permit, said department spokesman Mark Latti. Successful applicants can also pay for their permit online starting Friday, Feb. 13.

A turkey permit costs $13 for residents, $43 for nonresidents. Letters to all successful applicants in the permit drawing are to be mailed by the end of this week. The turkey permits must be paid for by Friday, March 12.

New this year is a wild turkey hunt on May 1 for youths 10 to 16 years of age, who possess a junior hunting license and a valid spring wild turkey permit, Latti said.

The first of May is the Saturday preceding the opening day of Season A (May 3 through May 8 and May 24 through 29).

Junior turkey hunters, who must be accompanied in the field by a parent, guardian or qualified adult, may hunt wild gobblers with either a firearm or bow and arrow. But the accompanying adult, who must hold a valid Maine hunting license or have taken a hunter safety course, cannot possess a firearm.

A list of those who were awarded permits can be found on the department’s Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com, or by calling the department’s Information Center at 287-8000 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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