Moose Hunt 2006 - Gallery - N.H. Fish and Game

"4 1/2 year old bull with 53" antler spread, shot in Unit E1 by Permittee Steve Freischlag. One shot from a 7MM Magnum and 175 gr. bullet at 35 yards put him down. Bull was heard from 1/4 mile away sparring with a younger bull, and called in with cow calls. Quartered and packed out on a combination of pack frames and game cart 1.2 miles. Estimated dressed weight at 700 - 750 lbs. A true New Hampshire remote White Mountain hunt of a lifetime for my father Roger (pictured) and myself. Thanks to New Hampshire Fish and Game for managing such a unique natural resource. Second younger sparring partner bull couldn't decide whether to charge us or flee. Lots of arm waving and yelling ran him off." --Steve Freischlag, Lyndeborough, NH

"John Williamson (of Skip's Gun Shop, Bristol) and I were thrilled to take this 750+ pound moose in Grafton County on opening day of the moose hunt 2006. Although it didn't take long to find him and bring him down, bringing him over 4 miles out of the woods took the rest of the day. His head, with an antler spread of 53 1/2 inches, will be on display at Skip's Gun Shop next to "Crash" (a large moose that demolished a pick-up in its demise) and his nickname will be "Bang". Don Beaulieu of Alexandria took the picture of John (on left) and me with our moose and then took part in the difficult task of hauling him out. Thanks again to my enthusiastic and capable subpermittee John and our moose hauler extraordinaire Don -- you meet the nicest people on a Honda ATV!" --Walter J. Waring, Bristol, NH

"I want to thank New Hampshire Fish and Game for the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the 2006 Moose Hunt. This moose was taken 8:00 AM the first morning of the hunt. Estimated age of this bull is 4 ½ years, 710 lbs. with a 45" spread. Zone A2 on Pisgah Mountain in Clarksville, N.H. It was about a 1000-yard drag back to the truck. I want to thank Mike, Butch, Doug, John, and my Dad Kevin for the help getting the big guy off the mountain." --Matt Smith, Harrisville, N.H.

"First I want to thank NH Fish and Game for the opportunity to hunt moose. My name is Donald Pelletier from Enfield, CT, and was lucky enough to draw a permit in area C2. It was on Tuesday of the hunt that my brother and sub-permittee Andy and I were watching a cow for about 20 minutes till she calmed down and started feeding away from us, we could hear what could only be antler against the saplings as a bull was making his way out from where the cow had come from. I had shouldered my Rem 300 ultra mag before I even saw him, when he stepped out ever so slowly, I made the decision to shoot this one, took the safety off and as soon as he gave me that nice broad side I pulled the trigger at 120 yards, he was down after a 20-yard walk. I think my brother was just as exited as I was just experiencing the event. The bull weighed 590 lbs. with a 44-inch spread. The whole experience was great, from the camping and scouting, which my girlfriend Virginia enjoyed, to the hunt. Thanks again." --Donald Pelletier

"DREAM COME TRUE! That is the least I can say about my moose hunting experience. My sub-permitee, Russell Ward, and myself had been persistently hunting for six days in zone K. We pushed so hard but it was not easy to find a moose. And then, suddenly, at the end of the 6th day, we saw a bull with a cow. We both shot and got the bull. He weighed 600 lbs. dressed with a 40" spread. I want to thank my friend Russ for the great hunting and our other friends for helping us to get the moose out of woods. Special thanks to NH Fish and Game that make this happen." --Mahir Mekic, Manchester, NH

"My wife and I, guided by Patrick Nealon, spotted this beautiful cow in a clear cut early on the second morning of the season in zone A2. Despite the crunchy snow, I was able to stalk and take her with a bow shot at 30 yards. She weighed 620 pounds dressed, and was estimated at 3.5 years of age. I would like to thank Patrick and the crew from New Hampshire Guide Services for an outstanding experience. I would also like to thank New Hampshire Fish and Game for allowing a dream hunt to come true. New Hampshire is a beautiful place, and we will surely return again." --Brooks Bolyard, Dellroy, Ohio

"Shot this bull second day in A2 at 12:15 -- 725 lbs., 52-inch spread and 15-inch beard. I was heading out of woods to get dry clothes because of melting snow -- that's when me and my sub George Reno saw this bull. Went to shoot but scope was all wet with snow and I couldn't see through it -- but I had a scope mount that allows me to shoot under it with iron sights. Good thing, and this is the result. I was wearing my lucky hunting t-shirt and it worked. Thanks." --Cliff Gould

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank N.H. Fish & Game for a very successful 2006 moose hunt. My father Joe Herbert and myself Dan Herbert shot this 845 pound bull moose which sported a 56" rack. My father has been submitting applications for the past 15 years and it finally paid off. Thanks." --Dan Herbert

"On behalf of myself and my son I want to thank you for the chance to hunt in the State on New Hampshire. We live in Central New York and were lucky enough to draw a 2006 Moose either sex tag. We arrived several days early and did our scouting and hunting in C2 around Lake Umbagog. During our scouting we saw 5 bulls that were in the 35-45" range. But we didnot see this bull that we harvested until the 5th. day of the hunt and harvested him on the sixth day. I had given the chance to shoot the moose to my son Mike. Once we spotted this bull there was no way he would take anything less if possible. We made a stalk and took him at 50 yds. with a .300 WM. He was nearly 1/2 mile from the nearst road and it took us throughout the night to get him to our cabin. A special thanks to Land Vest for the extraction permit and a world of thanks to Stanton Ekdahl & Jeff B. of Goffstown, N.H. for their help in getting him out of the woods. The bull was 5 1/2 years old, 58 1/2" wide, 20 pts. and weighed 790 lbs. Best of all we got the whole hunt on video tape to enjoy again and again." --Bill Walker, Miker Walker, and Mike Murphy (Camera man)

"I have a hunting camp in Wentworth Location, NH, so I know the area well. I was the sub-permittee, Don Blunt the permit holder -- together we did a great deal of scouting during the late summer and bird season and found the perfect place for morning and evening stands. Don did a wonderful job of calling in the mature bull along with a large cow. It was snowing so hard it was difficult to make out this monster, but my 300 WSM dispatched him humanely at over 150 yards. He was taken in Cambridge N.H. in C-2 WMU. The bull weighed in at 725# dressed. Hope you like the photos – we certainly had a hunt we will remember as long as we live." --Ron Bauer, Grantham N.H.

"I was very excited to be drawn for a moose permit. We were chosen for our home area of J1. Before this I have only hunted goose, duck, and turkey. On the second day about 30-45 minutes into the hunt Richard heard a twig snap. We saw this 2 1/12 year old bull looking at us over the brush. Richard did a few calls and the moose walked into the open less than 50 yards from us. We both shot and he dropped right there!! He weighed 490 pounds. What an amazing experience!" --Angela & Richard Lavoie, Tamworth NH

"Hello Fish and Game! This year I was lucky enough to be one of the NH Moose Lottery winners and it turned out to be the hunting adventure of my lifetime. Here is a photo of my first moose, taken with the help of my sub-permittee, my uncle, Rick Legier. I shot this 2 ½ year old cow in Claremont (WMU H1), tracked her for many hours in various terrains over several miles, and carried out an 'old fashioned' extraction. This entailed quartering the animal in the woods, carrying portions out to the vehicle using canoes and game poles and the help of my 'extraction partner', Alan Summers, not to mention a lot of elbow grease and determination. It was all worth it and we have a full freezer as proof! Thanks for a wonderful experience and best of luck with moose seasons to come." --Greg Legier, Warner, NH

"After only 4 tries I got picked for the 2006 moose lottery. I had an either sex permit. We did some scouting but not as much as we should have. The first 10 min. of the hunt I shot a 150 lb. bear. We had to take care of that before moose hunting so we didn't get started until 10:00 am. We hunted hard for 7 days and never saw a moose. There was plenty of sign, but we were always just behind them. We all know the weather wasn't in our favor. We were headed home Friday night after the evening sit, when this bull came into a clear cut at 4:30 pm. I took it with a Remington 7400 in 30-06. Of course, the trail I had to bring it to was 100 yards straight up. But thanks to 4 guys & a Yamaha Grizzly we got the job done. The bull was 860 lbs. with a 52 1/2" spread." --David Richards permit holder / Mike Lafleur sub permitee both from Weare

"Thank you Fish and Game for a wonderful experience hunting moose here in our great state of New Hampshire. Mike Vasco (in camo) drew a cow permit for WMU B and asked me to be his partner. With 4 or 5 scouting trips this summer, we found a couple of good spots to hunt. Opening day brought heavy winds and snow so we decided to sleep in a little. After breakfast the weather seamed to break and we were off. With fresh snow on the ground we decided to get out and do some glassing. Around 11:15 I spotted this cow bedded down on a hill side sunning herself about 300 yards away. Using the wind and terrain to out advantage we were able to stock up on her. Mike was with in 18 yards of here and I about 20. We got her to stand, we both shot and made a quick, humane kill. We had about 500 yard drag, lucky for us we had four wheelers, made it a lot easier. At the check station, she weighed in at 550 lbs. and was guessed to be about 1.5 years old. We also would like to thank Ralph Lyford for letting us use his camp and being a great camp cook! Thank you again for a great experience." --John L'Heureux

"Jack Carrier (pictured), permittee, and Jim Heath, subpermittee, both of Williamstown, VT, had scouted hard and it paid off. This 810 lb bull which sports a 53 1/2 inch spread and 19 points, was seen the weekend before the hunt in the area we hunted. We photographed him and nicknamed him "Simon" so I could let my family know if we indeed would get the largest of several bulls in the area in zone C2. It only took about 20 minutes into the hunt on the opening day and Jim and I both saw white antlers facing us at aout 150 yards. I shot once and he stepped forward into a more open area and then shot a second shot that dropped him on the spot! My 30-06 with 180 grain fusions did the job. I want to thank the state of New Hampshire for giving me this awesome opportunity and the McCarthy family for letting us use their wonderful camp. The added bonus is this hunt was caught on video by Adam Martin and I had lots of help from the boys back at camp...... Don't worry they were rewarded with moose tenderloin that night." --Jack Carrier

"I want to thank N.H. Fish & Game along with The White Mtn Forest Service for making this moose hunt a great success. I also wish to thank my sub-permittee, Dennis Davis for assisting me, especially getting this bad boy out of the woods. In this case, scouting really paid off (approx 40 hours total) because as it got closer to opening day, it was evident, with all the boot traffic, that some of the "spots" we picked were also selected by other hunters. We ended up about 1 1/2 miles in from a gated service road in Zone E3 a zone that has limited automobile access. We called this bull moose in and then had to track him about 300 yards before finally finding him just 50 yards off the service road. A call to Fish & Game initiated a request to the Forest Service to open the gate and allow us to complete the hunt. This moose weighed 600 lbs and according to the biologists, it was 3 1/2 years old." --Joe Catudal, Alton, N.H.

"From top left Paul with a 60" Bull approx weight 800 lbs never got weighed. The bull was taken in E3. On the left is Steve with a 41 1/2 in. bull weighing in at 630 lbs. The bull was taken in section A2. I would also like to give a special thanks to the forest service folks on Trudeau Rd. for their info on where to hunt, and the moose project leader (Kristine Rines) for her seminars we couldn't get it right without them."

"I want to thank N.H. Fish and Game for the hunt of a life time. I was the permitee Peter Samuelson and my son was the subpermitee Peter Samuelson Jr. We hunted three days 10-12 hours each day, and on the fourth day we hunted until 2:30 PM when my son shot this monster. We did some scouting but never saw a moose. During the hunt we saw two other moose but never could get a shot. It was about 100 yard shot with a 4570 and the moose dropped in its tracks, then the fun began as we were in about 3/4 miles. This moose weighed 810 lbs. with a 52" spread 19 points and a 53mm beam. He was shot in Sanbornton J2. While coming out of the woods a Fish and Game Officer checked our paper work and license. I did not get his name but want to say thank you, he was a very nice man and offered to help load the moose. Thanks again to all. Best Regards" --Peter Samuelson

"In only my second year of applying for a moose tag in New Hampshire, I was drawn for an either sex permit in A-2. Being totally unfamiliar with the area, I chose New Hampshire Guide Services, hunting out of Wentworth Location, NH to assist me. After a 12 hour drive from south-central Pennsylvania on Tuesday, 10/24, my sub-permittee Dan Knepp (left) and myself began our hunt with our guide, Dustin Parent, in a steady cold rain at daybreak on 10/25. After two very wet feet, three hours, and several miles of walking in various locations, we came upon my trophy in the midst of a large clearcut area. I stalked within seventy yards, and killed the bull with one shot from my dad’s 1953 vintage .30-06. When we loaded the bull on the trailer, our guide remarked that he never had so much trouble loading a moose. Even with a tilt down trailer and ATV winch, it still took six people to secure him—and on the way to the check station that afternoon, a tire blew out on the trailer! It all made a little more sense the next morning at the Berlin weigh station, when we discovered that my moose was the heaviest taken in New Hampshire this year, at 890 lbs. He had 18 points, and a 52 inch spread. I feel lucky and blessed. The antlers were mounted on a plaque by my very proud father, and are already hanging on my wall. The meat is great, and I’m Moose Happy in PA! Live Free or Die, New Hampshire!" --Anthony Gladfelter, Elizabethtown, PA

"I'm Mike Blanchard (right in photo) of Sullivan NH. This is a photo of the moose that my subpermitee (Butch Davis of Keene) and I took on Oct. 24 of the 06 moose hunt, unit A2 in Clarksville. I have been applying since 1988 that's 18 years and I'll tell you it was quite a thrill for both of us to be able to take this moose 550lbs !! Thanks to the F&G Dept and all the staff that make this all possible. Thanks again." --Mike Blanchard

"It took four hard days to harvest this two year old 671 lb live weight bull from the sandwich notch area in section F. Bob Hill of Meredith, N.H. and Lee Bavis of Ashland , N.H. called in this bull along with another larger bull and a cow. After an hour of calling back and forth with the three moose they were able to bring in this bull to with in thirty yards for a quick kill. Special thanks to Fish and Game officer Brad Morse for all his help in getting us vehicle access to the moose. If not for him it would have been a two mile hike each way with packs." --Lee Bavis

"I want to say thank you to New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept. for giving me the opportunity to hunt in this year Moose Hunt 2006. After choosing my sub permitteee Jeff B and helper Joe T. We made many scouting trips to our area C2. The beginning of the hunt was very slow due to the weather and the earlier rut. We adapted to the changes and it paid off. On the sixth day of the hunt my sub permittee Jeff shot a 600 lb.Cow at 8:40 AM. This is where the scouting paid off. We had to only use our skill and know how to be riggers, and my pick up to recover our prize. One thing for sure you have to do your home work to bring home a prize like ours. A special thanks to my support team of Jeff B and Joe." --Stanton Ekdahl, Goffstown NH

"Chris Dow, 18 of Webster and his Dad, Mike Dow after a successful hunt in Lisbon. Chris took this 500lb. cow. After Mike putting in for a permit for over ten years his son got a permit his second year and thought it was best to take his Dad. What a great experience for a father and son to share."

"A big “Thank You” to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department for giving me the opportunity to participate in the 2006 Moose Hunt. Also, a special thanks to Northern NH Guide Services for guiding my subpermittee and I on this a hunt. Their knowledge and hospitality was outstanding. We hunted in WMU C2 and I harvested a 750 pound 3½ year old bull with a 48 inch spread in the first hour of the season. To accomplish this with an 80 yard shot from a T/C Encore handgun in .30-06 JDJ was a dream come true and an unforgettable experience!" --Jim Brock, Brookline, NH

"As a non resident, I feel very fortunate to be able to hunt moose in NH. Not once but two permits. The first in 1999. That year I took my dad with me who was 75 at the time. We took a 725lb. bull in the town of Richmond.{h2S}This year I again got drawn for {h2s}. My Dad now 81 didn't feel up to going as my mom got sick and passed away on July 20th. One of the last things she told me was to go get that moose. Needless to say I was on a mission for her. I chose Mike Legassey as my partner and spent countless hours scouting.On day 3 we spotted fresh tracks in the mud crossing a beaver dam. As we made our way across the dam, we started smelling the bull. Mike got one shot at him and the chase was on. We followed him for 1 &1/2 hours through a swamp, sometimes up to our knees and finally tracked him down. It was 2:30 on Monday afternoon. We worked until 9:00 p.m. that night before finally going back on Tuesday to make the final three tenths of a mile swamp drag to the 4 wheeler.Very special thanks to Tyson, Roland, Jamie, Curtis and Bill. Without all these guys we would have had a real hard time getting this moose out in one piece. We shot this moose 200 yards from my first in 1999. In the picture Dave Fisher on left and Mike Legassey on the right. We are neighbors in the town of Athol, Mass., 12 miles from where we got our moose. Thanks to all." --Dave Fisher

"My brother John drew his permit this year and got his bull on opening day. I was lucky enough to be his sub permittee to watch the whole thing and help as I could. He was drawn in Zone D2 in which was an area we hit all the time for deer and knew there were plenty of moose. Only two hours of scouting the area and we came upon this 850lb, 21 point bull with a 52.25" spread. A rally of exciting shots put him down about 1/2 mile off the road. Fortunately we were able to get our ATV to the moose to drag him out, much to our amazement. The last 1/4 Mile was hauled out with our brother in laws tractor. Many thanks to John for including me on this hunt and our brother in law Bob, without whom we would have never gotten the beast on our truck or up to hang and cool before skinning." --Chris Achorn

"After being drawn in 2002 in Maine and NH, I started putting my wife’s name in the NH Moose Lottery. She didn’t think I was serious until she got drawn this year. She got drawn in Zone A1. She was a real trooper and took Hunter Safety and got her license. We stayed at friends Millard and Anita Edwards house in Pittsburg to scout and hunt. The first day of the hunt was horrible with the snow coming down and wind gusting so. On day #2 the sun broke out and at dawn we cut a nice set of tracks. We tracked him 1 ½ miles and caught up to him feeding, or looking for love with two cows. At 8 am we had him down. Our Moose Recovery Team of Jay and Tim were awesome in working the chain saw winch and assisting. Our moose weighed in at 715 lbs., had 41 ¼” spread and 11 points. Even my wife will smile a little and say she had a great time, but I am sure I will be paying for it a long time in trips to the mall for putting her name in the lottery. We had a blast." --Ed and Dianne Drew, Keene, NH

"I wanted to say thank you to NH Fish and Game Dept. for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Moose hunt for 2006. I was fortunate enough to take this nice bull at 9:30 AM in area J1 on the fourth day of the hunt. There was no getting a four wheeler into the area we hunted so we worked until dark to dress, quarter, and pack this animal out on foot ¾ of a mile back to the truck. Only took 4 trips!! This bull was estimated at 725 lbs with a 46 ½ inch spread by the lovely and talented Julie Robinson. I’d also like to thank my brothers Marc Couture (sub-permittee) and John Couture for all their help and support and a very special thanks to David Barry, without whom we’d still be in the woods. Thank you very much." --Jody Couture, Portsmouth, NH

"My sub-permittee, Tom Stachulski (with muzzleloader), of Sandown, NH and I, Tom (The Colonel) Lynch of Hampstead, NH have been scouting every corner of WMU M (southeast section of the state) since early August to prepare for our hunt this year. We are happy to report that even though we were assigned an area that had only a 20 percent success rate, hard work, research and several weekends away from the wives, brought us in line with a nice 1.5 year old fork horn bull in Auburn, NH. This was my first year applying for the moose permit and it was also my first kill as I only started hunting last year and was unsuccessful then. A lot of man hours, a great sub-permittee, and a good support group after the kill made this a great hunt even though the actual season for us ended only 9 hours into it. We would like to thank the landowner Art M. for his permission and John and Gary S. for their support after the kill, as well as all the well wishers who offered us possible locations to scout. My biggest thanks to my sub-permittee for all his efforts and knowledge." --Tom Lynch, Twin Maples, Hampstead, NH

"Preseason scouting paid off again! We had zone H1 and hired Ben Schofield of Fair Chase Guide Service after the recommendation from another guide. We spotted a bull with a cow the morning before opening day. We built a ground blind and sat from daylight until 4:43pm opening day when this bull arrived. He first showed himself at 35 yards and disappeared. With a few soft cow calls made by our guide, the bull presented himself for a shot. After the first shot, the bull charged us and stopped at 15 FEET! At that time I put a second shot into the bull. The bull ran again and I fired a third shot from my Remington 700 .338 Win Mag anchoring him for good! The bull weighed 630 pounds, sported 14 points and had a 36" spread!" --Permittee Tom Grassi (right) and brother John Grassi, Long Island, NY