AUGUSTA, Maine — A new, web-based game registration system is up and running statewide, providing hunters, stations and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife with an efficient, easy-to-use system that benefits all.
“This new system will quickly allow tagging stations and hunters to register their animal, and also provide our biologists and game wardens with real-time harvest data,” said Chandler Woodcock, commissioner of the MDIVW, via a press release.
The new web-based system became operational on the opening day of bear season, Aug. 27, and has been providing instant data to department personnel. In the opening week of bear season, hunters registered 1,141 bears. Hunters have now registered a total of 2,826 bears for the season.
Currently Maine is in the midst of bear season, which continues through Nov. 24; upland bird season, which includes ruffed grouse and pheasant, which started Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31; and moose season in limited regions. Deer season for hunters with firearms will begin this year on Oct. 29, with Oct. 27 slated as Maine resident-only day.
The system replaces the old game registration booklets, where agents used to fill in the data by hand. The books would be in possession of the agents until the end of the hunting seasons in December, and then shipped to Augusta where all data was entered by hand.
The new web-based system is simpler and faster, and provides the department with real-time data concerning the harvest of animals. This allows the department to provide customers with information about deer or moose harvest numbers more quickly, as well as provide its biologists the information they need to make decisions on seasons and permit numbers in a much more timely manner.
The new system is a result of an intensive effort by the department’s Bureau of Resource Management, the Division of Licensing and Registration and the Bureau of the Warden Service collaborating with InforME to develop an online application that ensures reliable data while remaining easy to use for registration agents. MDIFW staff has been training the more than 300 stations on how to use the new system. For a complete list of tagging stations, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/tagging-stations.html.
“With any new system, there’s always a few bumps, but we’ve had staff available to assist with this transition to the new system as well as a help line for agents provided by InforME,” said Woodcock. “We are also looking for feedback from our customers on how to improve the system.”
The electronic registration program is the latest step in automating more of the services that MDIFW provides, which includes online applications for deer and moose permits, online licensing, electronic lawbooks and the electronic game registration program. These are designed to be provide customers with the information and services they need via simple and efficient access from almost anywhere.
This new system will be in place for game registration, and beginning next year, will be available for fur tagging as well.
Maine has 215,000 licensed hunters. To obtain a license online or to learn more about hunting in Maine, visit www.mefishwildlife.com.
