Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Maine moose

Getting ready to submit my application, but cannot find results of 2017 season, by WMD.
Only list I've found is by hunter showing the age of their moose. Can anyone point me toward the data, by WMD, for last years hunt?
Been tossing my name in the hat for 20 years, seems to have become a habit. I am getting concerned that the health of Maines moose population is in real trouble. Would be happy to see any light shed on this subject.

I know nothing about where to find 2017 results, but can tell you we saw LOTS of moose while deer hunting near Eustis. 13 in one day, 4 of those being bulls. Most other days saw between 6 and 9. One real monster, but I would have had a hard time passing a couple of the others too. That was zone 7, but I'm not sure if the deer and moose zones are the same. But good luck in the draw!!

2017 Maine Moose Harvest

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/mooseharvest_2017(2).pdf

Thanks to both of you!

I fixed the link so it should work now.

Just courious how the NR numbers are now?
I used to apply every year,and never got a sniff,but that was probabaly 30 yrs ago.I seem to remember like 10% of the tags went NR.

10%

Some legislators proposed a bill to reduce this to 8%, but as far as I know, did not get put into law.

The bill was passed last session. It will most likely get enacted this session, 2018. Beginning 2019 season, 8% can go to non-residents and alien applicants. 2% can go to outfitters for sale to clients.

65 and older residents with 30 or more points get a permit as it stands now.

Non-residents and aliens worldwide take their shot at an average of 200+/- total permits annually.

Or, a person can bid to buy one. Pony up $15K or more!

Good luck. I've been applying to both NH and Maine for 10 years. No dice. I've seen people get drawn 2-3 times each in both states. I think these should be once in a lifetime tags. If I ever draw, I won't apply again. Just my $.02.

Good luck to you this year, I hope you get the call.

Jason

I live in southern NH and have a camp in Maine, just south of Millinocket. The northern Maine moose seem to be doing ok, not as many as 20 years ago but still plenty in some places. Moose have disappeared from southern NH and Maine. I haven't seen any, or any signs in the woods, for at least 5 years. Way fewer moose in northern NH also. The reduction in permit numbers reflects this.

The moose have changed their habits after decades of being hunted. They tend not to stand still next to the roads any longer so the tourists see way fewer.

I was a sub-permittee in NH in 1999 and 2000, once in northern NH and once in southern NH. Good and successful hunting both years. I was finally drawn in 2013 for zone A2 in northern NH. We hunted hard, and away from the roads, for five days, and saw two small moose. Passed on the first one but decided we better take the second. A warden we chatted with said he had seen zero moose while driving over 1000 miles on the logging roads.

Our best trophy was found by our Lab in Feb of last year near our camp. He discovered a couple antler points sticking through the ice on a beaver pond. After chipping away a lot of ice, we found not only the antler, but the entire antlered skull. It is a very nice 48 inch rack with only minor rodent (and Lab) damage.

As far as herd health is concerned, I read earlier in the winter that the tick numbers were looking good. Lots of healthy moose sampled in the annual winter sampling.

It looks like they increased tags by almost 400 this year.

I put my application in this afternoon. WMD 1,2,4,5,7,8,9 are all I put in for myself.

Appreciate the comments gentlemen. Thanks.

I stopped wasting money on the Maine Moose Lottery years ago

We have a boatload of snow this year and the moose I have seen seem to be struggling. That said, I did see more moose this winter than I have the last few. I know there were a pile of moose this past fall in the parts of 5 I deer hunted in. Sort of reminded me of the old zone 1 days.

I also just applied for 5, 1, 6, 3

Next you're going to tell you don't play "Power Ball" either ----Bob

No tag for me this year.

I do so I can just buy a moose when I win

In a typical year I purchase a few non-resident hunting and fishing licenses. Even when short term license are available, I tend to buy an annual. I have always hoped that that money goes towards natural resource, a piece of government spending that never gets over funded. Same with the money I been sending to Maine for a couple decades. I don't consider it wasted.

From this morning's Sporting Classics Daily:

AUGUSTA, Maine – According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 73% of all moose hunters harvested a moose last season. That’s despite warm spells during both the September and October moose seasons.

With 2,080 moose permits issued, 1,518 hunters were successful in getting their moose. Hunter success rates varied throughout different regions of the state with over 80 percent of the hunters getting moose in Wildlife Management Districts 1-3 and 5 and 6 in Aroostook County. For success rates in all Wildlife Management Districts and in each season, please visit the 2017 Maine Moose Harvest Summary.

“Weather impacted many hunters, particularly the first week,” said IFW’s moose biologist Lee Kantar. “Moose tend to travel less and spend more time in cover when it’s hot. Hunter effort also declines.”

The 73% success rate for hunters is consistent with the 71% success rate for moose hunters over the past five years. By comparison, the success rate for turkey hunters in Maine is generally in the 30 percent range. Bear hunter success is 25 percent, while deer hunters are successful 15-20 percent of the time.

Maine’s moose season is split into three segments with six-day seasons in September and October. Temperatures were above 80 degrees during the first few days of the season, and even into October, temperatures were in the 70s
.
“High success rates for moose hunters in northern Maine are consistent with what we are seeing with our moose survival study,” stated Kantar. “Adult survival rates are consistently high in our study areas, and calf survival rates are higher in our northern Maine study area compared to our western Maine study area.”

The radio collar study is just one component of the research that IFW conducts on moose.

IFW also utilizes aerial flights to assess population abundance and the composition of the moose herd. During the moose hunting season, biologists also examine teeth to determine a moose’s age, measure antler spread, monitor the number of ticks a moose carries, and examine cow ovaries in late fall to determine reproductive rates.

Biologists are preparing to recommend moose permit numbers for the fall 2018 moose season. The number of available moose permits is based upon population numbers and the composition of the moose population in wildlife management districts, as well as the population goals and objectives for that district.