AUGUSTA – Maine’s moose hunting season could be changing. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is proposing to expand the hunting season to curtail moose population growth in southern Maine, and provide moose hunters with additional hunting opportunity in central Maine.

One of several informational meetings being held around the state will be held Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Bridgton Memorial School cafeteria beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Earlier this year, the legislature directed the department to study the feasibility of a moose hunt in southern Maine. Both the Legislature and the Big Game Working Group have recommended that the department consider a moose-hunting season in southern Maine as a means of regulating moose numbers and reducing moose vehicle collisions.

The Department’s new proposal would:

• Establish a 6-day October moose-hunting season in parts of Northern Kennebec, Southern Oxford, Southern Somerset, Southern Piscataquis and Southern Penobscot Counties (Wildlife Management Districts 15, 16 and 27). This would correspond with the October moose hunting season in other areas of western, eastern and northern Maine.

• Establish a 6-day moose-hunting season in Eastern Kennebec, Hancok, Knox and Waldo Counties (Wildlife Management Districts 23 and 26) during either the last week of the muzzleloader deer-hunting season in December or during the last week of the regular firearms deer season in November.

Permits would be allocated among Wildlife Management Districts. Wildlife biologists anticipate that 100-300 permits will be issued in these five WMDs.

Following the public meetings, the department will submit a report to the Legislature in early 2006 outlining its proposals, a summary of the public comments received, and its recommendations regarding the proposed modifications to the current moose-hunting season.