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CONCORD, N.H. - After months of planning and scouting, the hunt of a lifetime is quickly approaching for 570 hunters and their partners who^ll participate in this year^s New Hampshire moose hunt. The hunt starts Saturday, October 16, and ends Sunday, October 24.
The hunters were drawn in a lottery in June that drew more than 13,000 applicants. This year, 9,323 New Hampshire residents applied for 475 permits, and 3,767 non-residents applied for 95 permits allotted to out-of-state hunters.
The 570 permit-holders are assigned to hunt in one of 20 areas throughout the state, called wildlife management units. Hunters assigned to units in the North Country generally have an 80 to 95 percent success rate, while hunters assigned to the southeastern units may have a 30 to 35 percent chance.
Like last year, this year^s permits includes 65 antlerless-only permits in the northern region. The antlerless permits have been issued to move the sex ratio closer to 50/50; it had been skewed in favor of cows. This will improve the reproductive success of the herd and provide more exciting opportunities for all to see bulls.
Most hunters get their moose within the first three days of the season, according to Kristine Bontaites, the state^s moose project leader. But some hunters will prefer to take their time to seek a big moose, sometimes trekking deep into the back country. These hunters may also face huge challenges in hauling out their moose, which can weigh more than 900 pounds, field dressed.
"By now they^ve done their homework. They^ve pored over maps, checked out their equipment, and scouted their units," said Wayne E. Vetter, executive director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. "Now they^re ready to get out and have the most memorable hunt of their lives."
Hunters are now making their final preparations with their partner (each hunter can have one partner, called a sub-permittee). After taking their moose, the hunters must have the animals weighed and inspected at one of seven check stations around the state. Biologists will check each moose to glean information about the overall health of the moose herd.
Some of these check stations, especially the northern ones, draw crowds of onlookers, a reminder of the importance of moose to the economy and social fabric of New Hampshire^s North Country.
Those interested in applying for next year^s moose hunt can pick up applications in mid-January wherever fishing and hunting licenses are sold, or contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department at (603) 271-3422, or via email: info@wildlife.state.nh.us.
For more information on the moose hunt, visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us.
Uploaded: 10/15/1999
Uploaded: 10/15/1999