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.

2009 N.H. MOOSE SEASON OUTLOOK
by Kris Rines, N.H. Moose Project Leader

The 2009 moose season will take place statewide Oct 17 – 25, 2009, with 515 permits being issued. One hundred and twenty of these permits will be antlerless only, and the remaining 395 will be either sex.  In accordance with our biennial season setting, this is the second year this type and level of permits have been issued. Permit levels are set to obtain the goals (portrayed as moose seen per 100 hunter hours during the deer season) by the public during our planning process in 2005. The management objectives for each region are displayed in the following table:

REGION	RECOMMENDED GOAL	CURRENT LEVEL
Connecticut Lakes	7.40	7.68
North	6.00	4.72
White Mountains	3.00	2.38
Central	1.50	1.41
South West	1.30	0.88
South East	0.50	0.57

The Connecticut Lakes Region (Wildllife Management Units A1 & A2). Forty either-sex and 40 antlerless only permits will be issued here. This permit level resulted in a success rate of 80% last year. The high ratio of antlerless to either sex permits is necessary to both improve the sex ratio of the standing population and to help reduce the population density. Twenty-nine percent of the take of all permits combined was bulls older than 1.5, while 65% of the take was cows and calves. Either sex permit holders took 2.6 bulls/cow.  Moose seen per hour by moose hunters has declined recently in this region going from 0.32 in 2002 to 0.20 in 2008. This decline is in line with the goal which has been to reduce this herd. 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.
 
The North Region (WMUs B, C2 and D1) will issue 65 either-sex and 25 antlerless only permits in 2009. Last year this region saw a success rate of 83% for all permits. Fifty-two percent of all permits were composed of bulls older than 1.5 while 44% was cows and calves. Either sex permit holders took 3.2 bulls/cow.  Due to the extensive network of log roads and heavy cutting that has taken place in this area, sightability of moose is relatively high and was .31 moose seen/hour in 2008. This region is very similar to the Ct. Lakes region.

The White Mountain Region (WMUS E1 – E3, D2, & F) offers hunters the opportunities for a true wilderness hunt. The bulk of this region lies within the White Mountain National Forest. Access is primarily limited to foot traffic. Hunters must be prepared to get their moose out without the use of motorized vehicles.  Ninety five either sex permits and 55 antlerless only permits will be issued here. The success rate for all permits combined was 47%. Thirty one percent of the kill was bulls older than 1.5 while cows and calves made up 57%. Either-sex permit holders took 1.9 bulls/cow. Moose seen per hour of hunting was similar to past years at 0.14.

The Central Region (WMUs G, H1, I1, I2, J1 & J2) is more heavily settled than those regions to the north. Moose densities are good, as is access. Land ownership here and in the two remaining regions is primarily by individual land-owner. One hundred and sixty either sex permits will be issued here. Last year hunters saw .10 moose per hunting hour which is similar to past years .The success rate was 68% with hunters taking 2.3 bulls/cow.  Success rates have ranged from 60 – 71 percent the previous five years while the bull/cow ratio has ranged from 3.6 – 2.0 bulls/cow. The 2009 success rate and sex ratio should be similar to that of the past five years.
 
Hunters in the Southwest Region (WMUs H2N, H2S & K) saw .11 moose per hour which is similar to past years. The 45% success rate last year was average for this region. Land ownership and development patterns are similar to those in the Central region but moose densities are slightly lower than those in the Central region. In an attempt to grow this population, permits are at an all time low of 20 either sex permits. The sex ratio is usually quite high here (8 bulls/cow in the take last year and 89% of the kill was bulls older than 1.5) and should be high this year as well. 

The Southeast Region (WMUs L & M) has very high human population densities and the lowest moose density. Access is limited and hunters will need to do considerable scouting and contacting of property owners to have a successful hunt. Moose hunters saw 0.10 moose per hunter hour last year. The success rate last year was 38%.  Sex ratio of the kill was 1.0 bull/cow with 50% of the kill composed of bulls older than 1.5.  <Return to Top>

Respect landowner rights:
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.

Moose Season Quick Facts

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 were 1 in 22 for New Hampshire residents, and 1 in 67 for nonresidents, some of the best odds in the nation for moose hunting.