Preliminary reports indicate 52 hunters succeeded in taking a moose during the state’s 9-day season which ended Oct. 23. With a total of 72 permits issued, the statewide success rate hit 72 percent compared to the 2015 overall success rate of 69 percent.
More than 8,000 people entered the moose hunt lottery for a chance to win a permit for the moose hunt. Nearly 85 percent of the permits went to New Hampshire residents. The overall odds of being drawn this year were 1 in 75 for state residents and 1 in 327 for nonresidents.
Harvest numbers reported were for 45 bulls and 7 cows. Final season results will be available upon completion of registration data entry and analysis.
“It was phenomenal,” said successful hunter Tim McGibbon of Amherst. “Even if I didn’t get anything, it would have been a great experience. I spent so much time in the woods over the last nine days, and it was so beautiful. I felt like I was hunting in a post card. I was just happy to be there. I called in moose earlier in the week, but they were never close enough. Just calling them and having them respond was exciting.”
McGibbon took a cow moose that dressed out at 640 pounds on the last day of the season. It was the first big game animal he’s ever taken.
Preliminary numbers show moose hunters had a 91 percent success rate in the Connecticut Lakes Region; 81 percent in the North Region; 68 percent in the White Mountain Region; 50 percent in the Central Region; 60 percent in the Southwest Region, and 50 percent in the Southeast Region.
“The moose health overall looked good,” according to Fish and Game Moose Biologist Kristine Rines.
“Tick levels on harvested moose were similar to what we saw last year, but it’s too soon to determine the real impact of ticks this year. That all depends on how long we go without sufficient snow on the ground to kill the ticks and stop them from questing onto moose. It’s all about the weather, and the shrinking amount of time we are seeing snow-covered ground in New Hampshire,” she said.