Maine moose lottery one for record books

More than 1,500 people came to the national retailer’s Maine site to partake in a day of activities that included a barbecue contest, moose call techniques, moose hunt seminars — and the reading of 3,862 permit winners’ names, the most in the 31-year history of the lottery.

Fortunately, emcee Doug Rafferty of WGME Channel 13 didn’t have to read all of the names. Volunteers came to the podium and handled that task. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Chandler Woodcock read the first 50 names.

This year, 49,887 people entered the moose lottery. Residents could buy one, three or six chances, with odds (including preference points) of one in 76 of securing the coveted permit. For non-residents, who receive no more than 10 percent of the permits in each wildlife management district, the odds were one in 416.

Entrants were young and young-at-heart, from ages 10 to 100. Eight 10-year-olds out of the 350 who applied got a moose permit. In total, 177 young people under age 16 were winners among the 3,021 who entered. The oldest permit winner is 94 years old. He can brag to the other eight people who are 94 or older that he got one.

Before the names were read, attendees were able to visit with vendors, and one booth was manned by the Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, which is working with DIF&W to plan next year’s lottery event. Woodcock has selected Rangeley as the site, and he said he is looking forward to returning the lottery to western Maine. More information on that will be available in early 2012.

The department is giving away 10 permits to disabled veterans through a separate lottery. Information on how to enter also is available on DIF&W’s website.

TV TIMEOUT: Bay State native Dave Eid at home in 'Vacationland ...

Dave Eid has been a sportscaster for 21 years, the last 15 at Portland television station WGME (Channel 13). He wasn’t sure his sports broadcasting career would even last more than the internship period at a small station in Rhinelander, Wis., where he also worked as a banquet server for a Holiday Inn, but after two years there, the Auburn, Mass., native learned out about an opening at Bangor TV station WVII (Channel 7).

Eight months after joining up with WVII, he moved to Portland to take the same sportscasting position with WPXT (Ch. 51), where he worked for three years. In 1996, he moved over to WGME and eventually became sports director and anchor.

Eid is married to wife Lisa, and they have two children (Drew, 11 and Danielle, 8). The son of Yvonne and Bob Eid has two older siblings, brother Ken and sister Val.

Q. As a Massachusetts native, you seem quite at home here in Maine. After starting out in Bangor at WVII (Channel 7), you moved to Portland to work for WPXT (Ch. 51) before switching to WGME, where you’ve remained for 15 years. How tempted have you been to seek a job in a bigger market and what is it that keeps you in Maine?

A. Well to be honest I have never really had the urge to leave Maine.  Back in 2001 I was actually up for a TV sports job in Chicago.  A recruiter in Dallas had my resume tape through a former general manager.  The station was a local Fox Sports Net affiliate that was looking to hire a reporter and an anchor.  I finished third in their search, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  A year later the station went black and I would have been out of a job. Not to mention it would have been hard to leave Maine.  My family loves it here!

Q. You have taught sports broadcasting in college. Does your teaching experience help your sportscasting and/or vice-versa, and what are the best parts of each job?

A. Well I love teaching at St. Joseph’s College.  It makes it extra special when you have a few of those students who are really dialed in and driven. That’s what makes it really special.  As for my job it’s different every day!  I love getting out of the station covering the local events and meeting the great people of Maine.  Having someone come up to me at a restaurant or grocery store is one of the best parts of my job because I know that person watches WGME.  Covering the local teams and once in a while going to a Super Bowl or World Series is also very special!

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