Moose Hunt Opening Weekend Brings 28% Success

[Brandon-K]

Scotty, did you have any luck yet???


MOOSE HUNT OPENING WEEKEND BRINGS 28% SUCCESS

CONCORD, N.H. -- More than a quarter of New Hampshire's moose hunters were successful during the first two days of the 20th annual New Hampshire moose season, achieving a 28% success rate on the opening weekend of the hunt. On Saturday and Sunday (October 18 and 19), a total of 147 moose were taken by moose hunters statewide - 90 bulls and 57 cows.

The weekend's crisp cold mornings were perfect moose hunting weather, according to Kristine Rines, the Moose Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. "Things seem to be going well. Last year, at this point in the season, we were at 29% success statewide, so things are looking about the same this year when you look at the state overall," said Rines. "Hunters are reporting that a lot of moose are bedded down in the morning, not feeding. That might be due to the nice bright moonlit nights that are allowing them to feed more at night."

Several hunters reported that they "called" their moose in, including Walter Celley, age 69, of Cabot, Vermont, who took the largest moose so far - an 820-pound bull with an antler spread of 61 inches, taken in Wildlife Management Unit B. Rines explained that in some years, the moose hunt occurs so late that the rut, or breeding season, is nearly over and only the younger bulls will respond to the call of a female moose. "This year the big boys are still responding to calls," Rines said.

New Hampshire's nine-day moose hunt continues through Sunday, October 26, 2008.

This year, more than 15,000 people entered the 2008 moose hunt lottery, held last spring, for a chance to win one of the 515 permits drawn for the New Hampshire moose hunt.

For more about moose hunting in New Hampshire, including a list of check stations, visit Hunting Moose in New Hampshire - N.H. Fish and Game.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome.