Hunters in New Hampshire’s ever-shrinking moose hunt did very well this year, with a 77 percent success rate during the nine-day season, the highest success rate in 13 years.
New Hampshire’s 2018 moose season saw hunters kill 35 bulls and six cows, according to preliminary numbers from New Hampshire Fish and Game Department moose biologist Kristine Rines.
A total of 53 hunters took part in the hunt, including 51 lottery permit holders, one permit auctioned by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire, and one Hunt of a Lifetime participant.
That means that hunters achieved a 77 percent success rate during the nine-day season, compared to around 70 percent over the past decade.
The total number of moose killed was the second-smallest since hunting started again in 1988, bigger only than last year’s tally of 37. That is partly a reflection of the small hunt, which in turn reflects concerns about the state’s shrinking moose population.
Only 53 hunting permits were issued in 2017 and 2018 through the lottery system, less than one-tenth the number issued just a decade ago.
More than 6,140 people entered the moose hunt lottery this year for a chance to win a permit for the New Hampshire moose hunt.