EDGEFIELD, S.C. — One of the state’s largest hunting celebrations, the annual Moose Festival — hosted this year in Acton, Maine — has become a beloved tradition for outdoorsmen and women in the Pine Tree State. The event is where the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife announces the lottery winners of the coveted moose tags for the fall season. Along with the drawing, the festival this year offered a wide variety of activities, and the Southern Maine Strutters Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation was part of the fun, talking conservation and engaging youth attendees.
Before the lottery drawing took place, the festival featured dog competitions, hunting retriever demonstrations, truck pulls, live music, carnival rides, food tents and outdoor industry vendors, such as hunting guides, outfitters, call makers, trappers, and of course the NWTF with its JAKES BB gun trailer.
The NWTF trailer saw over 200 participants at the event and was run entirely by two of the chapter’s youngest volunteers, Braylen, 15, and Ryan, 14.
“We really hit the mark there, with them being able to connect with these kids,” said Spencer Goodrich, chapter vice president. “It was a huge benefit because, sometimes, kids feel more comfortable with someone closer to their age. They won’t feel as nervous or scared.”
Since this year’s Moose Festival offered more of a carnival atmosphere and brought in more non-hunting attendees than in previous years, the chapter welcomed many families who were unfamiliar with hunting and shooting sports to try shooting a BB gun.
For that same reason, Goodrich and other NWTF volunteers were able to connect with a whole new community at their information booth.
“It was a great opportunity to connect with people we wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise,” Goodrich said. “We had a lot of people who just wanted to talk turkey, whether it was about wild turkey populations, habitat management, the work the NWTF is doing or how they can get involved. Every conversation was positive. It was educational to respond to those questions in person.”
Goodrich also had a conversation with a new NWTF member about how he can create wildlife habitat on his property. Before talking to Goodrich, he had no idea that NWTF members had access to communicating with a district biologist or opportunities to attend habitat workshops in his area.
On Saturday, before the lottery winners were announced, youth and adults could participate in moose-calling competitions and hunting seminars. NWTF’s “Uncle Pete” Wentworth, a recent NWTF New England Hall of Fame inductee, took part in the moose callmaking part of the event, showcasing his handmade birch bark moose calls and giving demonstrations on how to use them.
In the afternoon, the permit drawing began, and 3,705 permits were awarded for Maine’s 2026 moose hunting season out of over 70,000 people who signed up for a tag. One of those permits was awarded to Goodrich, who is already preparing for his hunt this fall.
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