NH & VT Moose

[tarheelpwr]

Hi,

Anyone have experience with East Coast Moose? I'm targeting these two states for a couple reasons.

1) I can drive to them from PA
2) Tags/drawing are reasonably priced
3) Outfitters (if I go that route) are reasonable. Logistically it makes sense due to sheer size.

I'm just looking for any input. The states seem like they have potential IF you draw a tag. I'm not 100% after a monster, but like the chance of getting one.

Is a Moose do-able DIY? How many guys would I need?

 

[ChrisS]

I haven't hunted either, but I have applied in the past and I won't anymore. Both VT and NH have drastically cut their available tags (40-70%). They're both down to less than 10 tags for non-residents. If you don't have more than 10 points, good luck, you're probably better off setting your $25 on fire. In NH in 2015, there were NR 3,889 applicants and they drew 18 tags. Less than 10 points, you're looking at a 0.002% (8 out of 3,357 apps) chance. In 2016, NH is only releasing 76 total tags, so about 7 for non-residents.

Your best bet for an east coast moose is saving $200/month for two years and booking a Newfoundland moose hunt and driving the 16-18 hours there.

 

[tarheelpwr]

That's good info. Thanks. I'll kick around the idea of just saving up.

i might put in one year just to see if lightning strikes, then come back to reality, lol.

 

[zman]

Hi,

Anyone have experience with East Coast Moose? I'm targeting these two states for a couple reasons.

1) I can drive to them from PA
2) Tags/drawing are reasonably priced
3) Outfitters (if I go that route) are reasonable. Logistically it makes sense due to sheer size.

I'm just looking for any input. The states seem like they have potential IF you draw a tag. I'm not 100% after a monster, but like the chance of getting one.

Is a Moose do-able DIY? How many guys would I need?

Applied a couple times. Never got one. Tough odds out of state. The populations have fluctuated over the years a good bit so might be more tags in a few years... who knows.

 

[tarheelpwr]

Who knows. I might pick one state and build points and hope the population rises. $25/year isn't bad.

 

[Trial153]

I put in for all three, it's cheap and close. I wasted money on dumber stuff...

 

[elkguide]

Living in Vermont and actually being the legislator that wrote the moose season legislation back in '90, I still have yet to draw.

If you can draw, there are some decent lower 48 moose here and not out of the question to be successful with a little bit of work.

 

[bosox2850]

Hi,

Anyone have experience with East Coast Moose? I'm targeting these two states for a couple reasons.

1) I can drive to them from PA
2) Tags/drawing are reasonably priced
3) Outfitters (if I go that route) are reasonable. Logistically it makes sense due to sheer size.

I'm just looking for any input. The states seem like they have potential IF you draw a tag. I'm not 100% after a monster, but like the chance of getting one.

Is a Moose do-able DIY? How many guys would I need?

If you've never been to those states it's thick, very big woods, very thick timber. Also the preference points don't mean anything. I have 9 points in NH and my buddy is a guide there. He had 3 hunters with fewer points than I have the past 2 years. It's not a system set up like western states. Far as DIY it'll be very very difficult. As my points have increased I've made more trips just trying to see moose there. Occasionally you catch one crossing the highways, maybe once in a week long trip catch a cow in the creeks. Doing it without a guide is a big risk, they do a lot of driving old cut downs. Call at one end, walk to the other end call again, sit wait a while, walk back to see if a bull came to the 1st call. You do this every day pretty much. Hunting them in the timber is really difficult if you don't live there. I thought the same as you for $25 why not? 25x9 it's starting to look not so promising, this year will make the 10th lol... Best of luck cause you could very possibly draw the first year. Or the 30th

 

[tarheelpwr]

Thanks for the feedback. Looking at it price wise, even 20 years is only $500. A far cry from 5k plus for a booked hunt.

 

[bosox2850]

Thanks for the feedback. Looking at it price wise, even 20 years is only $500. A far cry from 5k plus for a booked hunt.

Haha very true

 

[Murdy]

Vermont reduced their tag allocation significantly:

http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/a...duced-by-40-percent-for-management-objectives

But, I buy them too, and N.H., and Maine (which is a bit of a racket)

 

[LifeAndLiberty]

I am just starting to look into drawing tags in the Northeast. I live in Connecticut. I will say this - I would skip VT & NH and focus on Maine. I went up to Maine for deer season this year (eastern side of the state between Calais and Houlton) and I saw more Moose than deer. Granted, this is just anecdotal evidence, but take it for what its worth. In the area I was in, I saw as much Moose dropping piles as deer. I don't know to what extent Maine's system is rigged, but in terms of what I've seen while there, I'd take my chances on Maine.

The others who wrote are correct, compared to CT, Rhode Island, and Western Mass (which I imagine is more similar to parts of PA than the big woods up north) the woods are a lot more dense. Very thick stuff, in most of the area I was in you are lucky to be able to clearly see 25-50 yards unless you're by water, in a clearing, or a stand that is maintained by someone.

 

[Glock23]

Any interest in Maine moose?

 

[tarheelpwr]

I just want a Moose. I was focusing on the other 2 Bc they're a bit closer, but if Maine is a better way to go, it's not a huge difference.

How does the Maine drawing work? I saw something about 10, 20, or 30. Do you build preference points as well?

 

[camping1601]

I haven't hunted either, but I have applied in the past and I won't anymore. Both VT and NH have drastically cut their available tags (40-70%). They're both down to less than 10 tags for non-residents. If you don't have more than 10 points, good luck, you're probably better off setting your $25 on fire. In NH in 2015, there were NR 3,889 applicants and they drew 18 tags. Less than 10 points, you're looking at a 0.002% (8 out of 3,357 apps) chance. In 2016, NH is only releasing 76 total tags, so about 7 for non-residents.

Your best bet for an east coast moose is saving $200/month for two years and booking a Newfoundland moose hunt and driving the 16-18 hours there.

This is how I ended up thinking about an eastern moose hunt.

 

[jm1607]

I put in for VT, NH, and Maine. And I live in TX

Maine is the worst of the 3, it's very corrupt and people are allowed to buy more than 1 chance. But, it's only $15 for one chance and you get a PP. You don't get more PPs if you buy additional chances. If I wasn't 5 years deep into Maine I probably wouldn't start fresh, although you never know when they will change their system. They are also the cheapest of the 3 so it's not that big of a deal. They have the highest densities of moose and tags currently by far. Even with the awful system, the odds are better than VT and NH. So, you aren't really throwing your lunch money away...

I would however do all 3 drawings (Vermont has 2 drawings) in NH & VT. Yes, Moose numbers are down which means tag numbers are down. But they will rebound at some point and when they do I'll be glad to be looking down at 10-20 points or whatever.

These are the only 3 lotteries in the lower 48 for Canadian Moose. For $90, I don't mind putting in for all 4. Yes you could save $90 a year and put it towards a Canadian hunt.. But damn, it's only $90 a year. AZ costs me triple that! It's cheaper then putting in for 1 moose drawing in most western states.

 

[Glock23]

http://links.govdelivery.com/track?...alities-providing-clues-about-moose-survival/

Tarheel; Check the link above and do some google searches on Maine moose permits etc. Maine would be the best bet nowadays, but only in districts 1-6. Check the nonresident application etc. its fairly cheap for you. Of the nonresidents drawn last year I think 90+ % shot a moose.
Maine has mismanaged the moose by allowing way to many to surviye by limiting the permits. The winter tics and lung worm and brain worm have really knocked the numbers down in certain districts. that being said. Districts 1-6 have a lot of moose.... in certain areas

 

[Vtsheddog]

I guide moose in VT and as cheap as it is to apply I don't see why anyone wouldn't apply for all three states if they wanted to ever shoot a moose in the lower 48...I've been guiding only the last 5 years. Every client has had 100% kill opportunity on bull moose and only one guy didn't kill because he only wanted a monster. The hunting here is very good if you get a tag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChrisS]

FYI, NH moose population continues to struggle with winter ticks and brainworm. There is a proposed ~30% reduction in the number of tags from 71 to 51. Here are the total number of tags (and corresponding % decrease for the last 4 years:
2013 - 275
2014 - 124 (-55%)
2015 - 105 (-15%)
2016 - 71 (-32%)
2017 - 51 (-28%)

Warmer winters = increased winter tick and whitetail populations. More whitetails lead to increased brainworm exposure for moose.

Continuing to buy moose lottery entries helps fish and game to fund studies, but chances to shoot a lower-48 moose in the northeast are decreasing. Maine is planning a ~3% reduction, following a 50% reduction over the last three years.

 

[tarheelpwr]

Thanks for the update, as bleak as it is lol