BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 21, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed travel and hampered traditional vacation plans over the past nine months, but those who enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and ATV riding seem to have spent more time doing so than in pre-pandemic years. More hunting licenses were sold in 2020 than a year ago, and more ATVs were registered. Resident and nonresident hunting license sales increased 7.3%, year-over-year, from 147,379 to 158,197. And hunters had their best year since 2002, tagging more than 33,000 deer. ATV registrations increased 7.3% this year, from 67,211 to 72,103. On the other side of the coin, fewer fishing licenses and boat registrations were sold, though neither was required in the month of April. The state experienced a 3.9% decrease in all fishing licenses sold, from 258,889 to 249,911. Boat registrations decreased 3.7% in 2020, from 120,770 to 116.296.