AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   Maine wildlife officials say 73 percent of moose hunters were successful in harvesting their quarry during last year’s hunt.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says 1,518 hunters succeeded in getting their moose last year, when 2,080 moose permits were issued. The success rate was slightly more than the 71 percent success rate hunters have had over the past five years.

Moose hunters have some of the highest success rates in the state. Bear hunters are successful only about 25 percent of the time and deer hunters only succeed 15 to 20 percent of the time.

The number of moose permits offered by the state has trended downward in recent years. State biologists are getting ready to recommend a permit number for the fall 2018 season.