73% of Hunters Successful in the 2021 New Hampshire Moose Hunt

CONTACT:
Henry Jones: 603-744-5470
Dan Bergeron: 603-271-1126
October 29, 2021

Concord, NH – New Hampshire’s 2021 moose hunting season closed this past Sunday with hunters harvesting 30 moose – 24 bulls and 6 cows, according to Henry Jones, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Moose Project Leader.

Hunters achieved a 73% success rate during the nine-day season. Forty-one hunters took part in the hunt, including 39 lottery permit holders, 1 through a permit auctioned by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire, and 1 Dream Hunt participant sponsored by the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation. In 2020, the overall moose hunter success rate was 75%, which was slightly above the average result of 73% over each of the previous 5 years.

“Most hunters this year were well prepared for the adventure and took full advantage of the opportunity to hunt moose,” reported Jones. “However, it was a season of two different weather patterns. After a warm day statewide on the October 16 opener, cooler temperatures and showers prevailed in northern New Hampshire, which encouraged moose movement during the day. Central and southern areas of the state experienced milder temperatures, likely resulting in lower moose activity during the day.”

Several large bulls were taken, including two that weighed 880 pounds dressed, which equates to 1,200 pounds of live weight—over half a ton! The ensuing work to remove an animal that large from the woods is no small task, and preparation is essential.

Breighton Jones of Charlestown, NH, is a great example of someone who worked hard to prepare, which produced exceptional results. Without previous experience hunting moose, Jones studied their behavior, scouted the topography and moose activity in his hunting area, and planned for success by understanding how to quarter and pack out a moose. These hours of dedication and careful thought resulted in Jones taking a fine bull and successfully transporting it from the woods; each hindquarter weighed approximately 100 pounds!

Each year, New Hampshire Fish and Game issues a moose-hunting permit to the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation for their Dream Hunt Program, which then gives this permit to a young individual with a severe illness. The 2021 Dream Hunt was coordinated by Mark Edwards, and, as in many years before, Northern New Hampshire Guide Service devoted their support, food, and lodging to the permit recipient. Permittee Kasch Allen-Lauer, a 14-year-old from Swanzey, NH, and his grandfather David Poisson of Keene, NH, harvested a 620-pound bull on October 1. Thank you Mr. Edwards and Northern New Hampshire Guide Service for your generosity and dedication.

More than 5,500 people entered the New Hampshire moose hunt lottery this year.

Learn more about moose hunting in New Hampshire at www.huntnh.com/hunting/moose.html.