Many of us approach the yearly moose permit lottery with giddy optimism, tempered with a healthy dose of dread.

On one hand, there the anticipation builds, as we convince ourselves … again … that this year … again … is our lucky year.

On the other hand is realism: Down deep, few of us actually expect our names to be drawn from the cyber-hopper. Eventually? Perhaps. But this year? The odds don’t favor it.

Others, I’ve learned, find out that their lucky year has arrived … even though they’re not in a position to celebrate that fact.

Shirley Ellis e-mailed me recently and told me about her nephew, Nokomis High and UMaine grad Brian Wilson.

“Your recent articles about the moose hunt have been of interest to me,” she wrote. “My nephew is with the 133rd [Engineer Battalion] in Iraq. I e-mailed him the morning that the BDN listed the names drawn for the moose hunt to tell him that his name was there. He was thrilled, and got on-line to check it out himself.”

But as Ellis explained, Wilson hadn’t applied for the moose hunt expecting to be selected. He applied so that he wouldn’t lose his bonus points, which give a prospective hunter an extra chance in the draw for every year they’ve been unsuccessful.

This year, Wilson was successful … and he’ll likely spend moose season thousands of miles away from the Maine woods, in Mosul, Iraq.

I followed up with an e-mail to Wilson, who replied over the weekend. The good news: Although he doesn’t expect to be back stateside in time to hunt, he believes the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will allow him to defer his moose hunt until the fall of 2005.

In his e-mail, Wilson writes eloquently about his home state, and the things he misses. I share portions of that e-mail here, in hopes that we all realize how good we have it … and how hard others are working to make sure that we keep it.

“Above all, I miss my family,” Wilson wrote. “We like to go out in our boat and fish or just relax or swim. Past summers I have taken the kids fishing on Sebasticook Lake in Newport to fish for perch and crappie. The fish are always biting, and what better way to get young children hooked on fishing than that?

“We have also spent time at Swan Lake in Swanville. My children aren’t old enough to hunt yet, but they are developing an interest in the woods still. They helped me build a ground blind behind our house for deer hunting, and they enjoy hiking in the woods and ‘leading the way.’ My wife is also starting to take up hunting, and is quite a good shot, at least on paper.

“My fall 2003 hunting season was cut a little short due to the deployment, but then a gain, it never seems long enough anyway. I didn’t manage to fill my tag, but I did get out a few times. I was able to get one ice fishing day in before I left – New Year’s Day on Swan Lake in front of the state park.

“I came up empty, but it was still a good time with family and friends. I did miss a yearly ritual fishing trip with a good friend of mine, who also happens to be stationed here with me in Iraq. Each spring, around Memorial Day, we fish a small local stream for brook trout. It takes us five or six hours in a canoe, just fishing slow and catching up on each other’s lives. It is really a great time, and we’ll often keep several trout for a feed.”

While Wilson would love to hunt a moose this year, he was pleased just to have his name drawn. And after some legwork by his wife, that hunt will take place … eventually.

“This is my first moose permit,” he wrote. “I have been applying religiously for as long as I can remember. This year I was afraid things wouldn’t work out, but I contacted DIFW and told them my situation with the deployment. They assured me that if I was drawn, I would be able to attend in the following year.”

Checking in with DIFW ahead of time made good common sense, of course. It also may have been proof of the “giddy optimism” I mentioned we prospective hunters often fall victim to.

In Wilson’s case, it didn’t matter. This was his lucky year.

“Sure enough, I was drawn for September, WMD 6, bull-only,” he wrote. “I double-checked with DIFW on the use of the permit for 2005, just to be sure, and everything was good. My wife has filled out the necessary paperwork and forwarded it to the DIFW, along with my permit fee.

“It appears as though I will be all set for the 2005 season, as long as I have some time to do a little scouting and secure a place to camp! My father will be my sub-permittee. He has been drawn twice for permits in the past, so I’ll have his experience on my side. I’m sure I’ll also bring a few more people along just for the excitement and fun.”

Thanks for the e-mail, Brian. Stay safe.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.