The deadline to apply for the 2013 Maine Moose Permit Lottery is fast approaching, especially for those who plan to use a paper application.

All paper applications must be dropped off at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Augusta office at 284 State Street or postmarked to that address by April 1.

Online applications can be found at www.mefishwildlife.com and must be completed by May 14 at 11:59 p.m.

Permit winners and their sub-permitees will be able to hunt in one of the department’s 25 wildlife management districts (WMD’s), which cover more than 21,000 square miles.

Legislative changes put into effect last year have given long-time lottery applicants who have never won a permit a better chance at winning.

Bonus points are awarded for each consecutive year the applicant has applied for the lottery since 1998 without being selected. Each bonus point gives the applicant an additional chance in the drawing.

Bonus points are earned at the rate of one per year for years one to five, two per year for years six to 10, three per year for years 11 to 15 and 10 per year for years 16 and beyond.

This year’s moose permit lottery winners will be announced in June.