As far as the drawing odds, it's all the same. The way it was explained to me was based upon preference points earned, names are drawn then from your application were you put down 6 units to be drawn for. they start with you first choice and work down thru your list till they find one with a opening and thats the one you get. I heard that it usually takes about 6 years of preference points to get a tag, being a non-resident. Just what I heard. If you go online at the maine fish and game website it explains it better than i did. From the reasearch I did, odds are good, with a guide, wherever you might draw, with the mid western part of the state being best. Hope it helps.