Northeastern Moose - what is the terrain and accessibility like?

[bz_711]

From my other thread about PP's...got me interested in what Maine and NH have to offer when it comes to Moose.

For a bowhunter - would this kind of hunt be similar at all to a Western States hunt - with lots of Public Land and remote areas to access? Is it primarily Pine forests?

I have no clue...just curious to learn more.

 

[blb078]

Yea, there's a decent amount of public land. Now one thing you have to take into account is the size of the state. Maine is about half(maybe less than half) the size of most western states. NH and VT are about the size of some counties in the western states, so you're not going to see tens of millions of acres of national forests like you do out west. The link below will help somewhat. Maine is divided into 7 districts and then w/in those districts are units. Region G has 4 million acres of public land, which I believe is the largest in the state. The good news is that ME has a moose population of 75,000 as of the last survey in 2010, that's up from about 30,000 10 years earlier. Out of the lower 48, ME is tops when it comes to moose hunting. They have eastern Canadian moose which are bigger than the shiras out west. For just a bonus point in ME it's $15, no upfront tag fees or anything just a flat $15, the bonus point fee for NH & VT is $25. I believe after your 5th year you can start buying additional bonus points in ME, NH & VT it's just one point per year. If you're a non resident and want to apply for moose it's much cheaper to look northeast than it is west. The tags too are a fraction of the cost, ranging from $350 in VT to just over $500 in VT and ME. And if you wanted to hire an outfitter(not required though)they're pretty cheap compared to to a lot of places, usually $1500-3000 range.

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/regional_information/index.htm

 

[bz_711]

Very Interesting...thank you blb!

Are there separate archery/gun season - or is it "choose your weapon?"
Any idea on average years to draw for NR?

 

[bigeasygator]

Not sure if it matters to you or if you just want to hunt any moose, but these are two different moose species. The hunting will no doubt be different, but that may not be as important to you as just hunting a moose!

 

[blb078]

Very Interesting...thank you blb!

Are there separate archery/gun season - or is it "choose your weapon?"
Any idea on average years to draw for NR?

I'm not sure, I want to say it's any legal method, but again not 100% sure. As far as getting drawn all 3 states work on a bonus system, so you could get lucky and draw your first year or have to wait 15 years. If anyone is drawn someday deer & bear tags are somewhat cheap for a NR so might as well pick up them too.

 

[blb078]

Another option for moose would be Quebec if you already have intentions of going NE. There is a large portion of that province were you are not required to have a guide/outfitter and can do a DIY hunt. Here is the rule directly from Quebec fish and game about NR hunting "Non-residents wishing to hunt north of the 52nd parallel or east of the St.Augustin River in WMU 19 south must use an outfitter." So pretty much anything south and west of that area you need a guide. To find that on a map is easy, this is with a fairly large buffer too. 52nd parallel is basically were the southern tip of Hudson Bay is in QC, so that's as far north as you can go. East, pretty much you can to Sagueney which is NE of Quebec City. That's actually a pretty large buffer but it's still a huge area to hunt moose.