I WON! Past NH
moose hunt permit winner Steven Johnson of Franklin (right) with his dad, Jim.
New Hampshire's moose
hunt is nine days, starting the third Saturday in October. This
year's hunt takes place from October 18-26, 2008. A total
of 515 permits are being issued; of that total, 120 are antlerless-only
moose permits for WMUs A1, A2, B, C2 and D1 in
northern New Hampshire, with the remaining 395 permits valid for
taking any moose in specific WMUs across the state. New Hampshire
has an estimated population of 6,000 moose.
N.H.'s 2008 Moose Hunt
N.H. Moose hunt lottery winners were selected through a computerized random drawing on June 20, 2008, at N.H. Fish and Game headquarters in Concord, N.H.
NOTE:You must have landowner permission before using an
ATV on privately owned land. All hunters should be prepared
to get their moose out of the woods on foot.
N.H. MOOSE SEASON OVERVIEW by Kris Rines, N.H. Moose Project Leader
New Hampshire's 2007 moose season was a success, with preliminary figures showing that hunters took 482 moose. With 678 permits issued; this represented a statewide success rate of 71%. About 64 percent of the harvest was bulls, which is typical, according to Kristine Rines, Moose Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. In 2006, by comparison, hunters took 449 moose for a statewide success rate of 67%. Unseasonably hot weather kept many moose hunkered down and out of sight during 2007.
In 2007, the success rate in all regions was higher than the previous year, but lower than the ten-year average. The Connecticut Lakes region saw a success rate of 88%, the North region had 81% success; in the White Mountains region had a 62% success rate; the Central region, 61% success; the Southwest region saw 44% success; and in the Southeast region, 30% of hunters got their moose.
Moose hunt permit levels are set to achieve the goals (stated as moose seen per 100 hunter hours during the deer season) set by the public during our planning process in 2005. The objectives for each region are displayed in the following table:
REGION
RECOMMENDED GOAL
CURRENT LEVEL
Ct. Lakes
7.40
8.68
North
6.00
5.35
White Mtns
3.00
2.98
Central
1.50
1.49
South West
1.30
0.99
South East
0.50
0.44
Back in 2006, N.H.'s moose season saw a decline in success rates, and the percentage of adult bulls taken, in almost all regions because of a combination of poor weather conditions and season timing. New Hampshire's moose season opens on the third Saturday of October, so every seven years it falls very late in the rut. 2006 was the latest the season could fall in the rut, and timing will be one day earlier for the following seven years.
Regional Moose Hunt Information:
Hunters are advised to seek landowner permission before hunting on any properties, including timber company lands. ATV use is prohibited in the state of the New Hampshire without written land owner permission. Please respect landowner’s rights and never tamper with closed or locked gates or block roads.
The Connecticut Lakes Region(WMU’s; A1 & A2). This region has large acreages in timber company ownership. As a result there is little human development and good access on logging roads. Forestry practices provide an abundance of clear cuts of many ages. One hundred and nine either-sex and 50 antlerless only permits were issued in 2007. The five year average success rate is 89%. The success rate in 2007 was 88% for all permits combined, 92% for either sex permits and 80% for antlerless only permits. Sixty-seven percent of the either sex permits was antlered bulls and successful hunters saw 0.18 moose/hour hunted.
The North Region(WMU’s B, C2 & D1.) This region is very similar to the Ct. Lakes region. D1 is the most developed of all the units but still has large undeveloped acreage. One hundred and thirty four either sex permits and 36 antlerless only permits were issued here in 2007. The five year average success rate is 86%. The success rate in 2007 was 81% for all permits combined, 86% for either sex permits and 61% for antlerless only permits. Seventy four percent of the either sex permits take was antlered bulls and successful hunters saw 0.23 moose/hour hunted.
The White Mountain Region(WMU’s C1, D2, E1 – E3 & F). This region is composed primarily of the White Mountain National Forest and offers hunters the opportunity of a true wilderness hunt. Human development is very limited and access is restricted and often limited to foot traffic only. Hunters must be prepared to get their moose out without the use of motorized vehicles. One hundred and forty six either sex permits were issued here in 2007. Antlerless only permits have never been issued in this region. The five year average success rate is 67%. The success rate in 2007 was 62%. Seventy-eight percent of the take was antlered bulls and successful hunters saw 0.13 moose/hour hunted.
The Central Region(WMU’s G, H1, I1, I2, J1 & J2). This region is more heavily settled than those to the north but access is good. Land ownership, as in the two other southern regions, is primarily by individual private landowner. One hundred and fifty eight either sex permits were issued here in 2007. The average five year success rate is 65%. The 2007 success rate was 61%. Seventy-seven percent of the take was antlered bulls. Hunters saw an average of 0.10 moose/hour hunted.
The Southwest Region(WMU’s H2N, H2S & K). This region is very similar to the Central region in both human density and land ownership patterns and access. Twenty-five either sex permits were issued here in 2007. The average five year success rate is 50%. The 2007 success rate was 44%. Eighty-two percent of the take was antlered bulls. Hunters saw an average of 0.15 moose/hour hunted.
The Southeast Region(WMU’s L & M). This region is the most heavily developed and access is limited. Hunters will need to do considerably more scouting and contacting of property owners than in other regions to have a successful hunt. Twenty permits were issued here in 2007. The five year average success rate is 30%. The 2007 success rate was 30%. Thirty-three percent of the take was antlered bulls. Hunters saw an average of 0.06 moose/hour hunted.
Average dressed weight
of all yearling bulls taken in 2007 was 420 pounds. The
average dressed weight of all bulls aged 5.5 and older in
2007 was 735 pounds.
The largest bull moose
ever taken weighed in at 1,040 pounds, dressed weight.
Live weight of this moose would have been approximately 1,400
pounds. The largest cow ever taken dressed at 815 pounds.
These two animals came from Zone A2 and both were taken in
1993.
Greatest antler spread
measurement for moose taken in New Hampshire is 68 inches.
This bull was 9.5 years of age, had 22 points and weighed
785 pounds dressed. The antler beam diameter was 67mm. This
animal was taken in A1 in 1996.
Moose have been taken
with the use of conventional firearms and archery, handguns,
muzzleloaders (including flintlocks) and the longbow. In 2007,
94% of hunters took their moose using conventional firearms
(rifle or shotgun).
61% of the harvest occurred
in the first 3 days of the 2007 season, in spite of the unusually hot weather.
Successful hunters spent,
on average, 32 hours scouting, saw .15 moose/hour in the
scouted area and 77% of them got their moose in the area
they scouted.
Moose Hunt Basics Each permit holder (permittee) may select one person
of any age (subpermittee) to join him or her on the moose
hunt.
Both either-sex and antlerless-only permits may be issued
in some units.
The limit is one moose per
permit, which may be shot by either hunter. Those drawing
an antlerless-only permit may take one antlerless
moose. All other permit holders may take either an antlered or
antlerless moose.
Archery, muzzleloader, and regular firearms hunting are
allowed, according to the hunting license type the hunter possesses.
Hunting is permitted by unit assignment, made as a result
of the preferences listed on the application form and the order
in which the applicant ranks in the drawing. Hunters may hunt
only in the unit assigned to them.
The percentage of permits issued to nonresidents is
the same as the percentage of hunting licenses sold to nonresidents
in the previous year (recently about 15 to 17 percent of the
total.)
The odds of winning a New Hampshire moose hunt permit
in the 2008 lottery are 1 in 20 for New Hampshire residents, and 1 in 55
for nonresidents, some of the best odds in the nation for
moose hunting.
Moose hunters must carry
their valid moose permit and N.H. hunting license with
them at all times while hunting and registering their moose.
License and permit fees
Resident
Nonresident
Hunting
$
22.00
$103.00
Archery
$
22.00
$
73.00
MoosePermit (regular hunting or archery license also
required)
Moose Hunt Lottery
Moose hunting permits are offered to successful lottery applicants
following a computer-generated random drawing. Anyone who
obtained a moose permit in 2005, 2006 or 2007 is not eligible
to obtain a permit in 2008. Applications must be postmarked
or purchased online by midnight Eastern Time on May 30, 2008,
or delivered to N.H. Fish and Game headquarters in Concord
by 4 p.m. on that day.
N.H. Fish and Game has a bonus point system to improve the
chance of success for unsuccessful applicants who apply each
year. Unsuccessful applicants accrue one point for each consecutive
year that they apply for the lottery. Each point translates
to a chance in the drawing. NOTE: applicants lose all accrued
points if they do not apply to the lottery for one year, or
if they are offered and accept a moose permit. Click
here for more information on the lottery bonus point system.
Lottery Drawing/Unit Assignment Permittee candidates
are selected through a computer-generated random number draw.
The 2008 drawing took place June 20 at 9 a.m. EST at
Fish and Game headquarters on Hazen Drive in Concord.
Each applicant selected in the lottery drawing is assigned
to hunt within a unit of his or her choice, except when
the permit quota for that unit has already been filled. In
cases where the quota in the appliant's first choice unit
has been filled, the applicant will be assigned to the next
unfilled unit of his or her choice, as indicated on the application.
Applicants are considered for antlerless-only permits if no
either-sex permits are available and the application indicates
the applicant is willing to accept an antlerless-only permit.
Any unit not ranked on the application form indicates that
the applicant does not wish to hunt in that unit, even if
it is the only unit where a permit quota has not yet been
filled. Alternate candidates are selected to fill any permits
not taken by the original applicants selected.
Notification of winners Successful applicants
are notified within 10 working days of the drawing. Moose hunting
permits and information packets are mailed in late August.
If your name is drawn, a nonrefundable payment of $150 for
residents and $500 for nonresidents must be postmarked no
later than midnight July 18, 2008, or received at Fish and
Game headquarters in Concord no later than July 31, 2008.
Failure to submit payment by the deadline will result in disqualification
of the applicant and the permit will be offered to an alternate
candidate.
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