New Hampshire's popular annual moose hunt lottery is now open to residents and nonresidents. Entering the lottery costs $15 for New Hampshire residents and $25 for nonresidents.
New Hampshire's nine-day moose hunt will be October 21 to 29. Enter online or print a mail-in application by clicking here.
Moose hunt lottery applications must be postmarked or submitted online by midnight EST May 26; they may also be delivered to Fish and Game headquarters in Concord before 4 p.m. Winners will be selected by a computerized random drawing June 16.
An applicant can enter the moose hunt lottery once a year. A bonus point system improves chances for unsuccessful applicants who apply each consecutive year.
In 2016 more than 8,100 people entered the lottery for the chance to win one of 71 permits. Hunters from seven different states won permits in the lottery.
The number of moose hunt permits offered for this fall's hunt has not yet been determined. Harvest and survey data are currently under review. A proposal to change permit numbers in parts of the state is possible, according to Wildlife Programs Supervisor Kent Gustafson.
An applicant’s chance of being drawn and offered a permit will be improved by ranking all wildlife management units on the application, Gustafson noted. Applicants have the option to decline a permit if drawn for a unit they prefer not to hunt.
The state’s annual moose hunt began in 1988 when 75 permits were issued for a three-day hunt in the North Country.
New Hampshire’s current moose population is estimated at about 3,800 animals. The availability of moose hunting permits is made possible by careful monitoring moose populations.
To learn more about moose hunting in New Hampshire click here.