CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire’s 2016 moose season wrapped up on Sunday, October 23. While hunters have until close of business today to register their moose at New Hampshire Fish and Game headquarters or regional offices, preliminary figures show that 52 hunters succeeded in taking their moose during the 9-day season. With a total of 72 permits issued, this represents a statewide success rate of 72%. That compares with last year's (2015) overall success rate of 69%.
The breakdown for the harvest this year was 45 bulls and 7 cows. Final season results will be available upon completion of registration data entry and analysis.
Around the state this year, preliminary numbers show moose hunters having a 91% success rate in the Connecticut Lakes Region; 81% in the North Region; 68% in the White Mountain Region; 50% in the Central Region; 60% in the Southwest Region; and 50% in the Southeast Region.
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It was phenomenal,” said successful hunter Tim McGibbon of Amherst, NH, who 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. “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.”
Check out a growing gallery of photos and stories from this year's successful New Hampshire moose hunters at www.huntnh.com/hunting/moose.html.
In all, more than 8,000 people entered the moose hunt lottery for a chance to win a permit for the New Hampshire 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.
“The moose health overall looked good,” said NH 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, because 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.”
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