It has long been a dream of mine to get a chance to hunt moose. A hunt in Alaska and Canada weren’t in the cards so I figured I’d try my hand in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. $25ish a year to apply for each (when they were accepting applications) seemed fair.

I knew it was going to be a long shot, but - as a Buddy occasionally reminds me - you miss every shot you don’t take. I had five points heading into this year for both Maine and New Hampshire thinking I was years, if not a lifetime, away from being drawn. I was wrong.

I feel very blessed and fortunate to say I was drawn for a Zone 2 Antlered tag for the first October hunt (October 10-15).

With that said - I’m definitely behind the 8-ball. I certainly didn’t expect to actually be drawn yet, so I have loads of homework over the next 3.5ish months. I am really looking forward to it!

A couple questions I wanted to ask:
(1) DIY vs. Guide - If DIY, my “scouting” will likely be limited to a couple days prior to the hunt window. The DIY seems more appealing to me, from an experience perspective. Getting out with a few buddies and hunting extremely hard at something none of us have done before seems quite the trip. On the counter argument - I’d obviously love to fill this likely once in a lifetime permit. Any suggestions on guides to potentially look into for Zone 2?

(2) Any Maine residents, or members who have hunted moose in Maine, willing to lend me a little bit of time to talk about hunting in Maine? I’m familiarizing myself with rules, studying OnX, and starting to go all in on this hunt, but I could certainly use some advice and guidance. It is starting to be pretty obvious that this won’t be like hunting in PA for whitetail!

Pm sent

Congratulations on your great luck in the moose lottery! Zone 2 is reputed to have lots of moose; it was my second choice.

Without an opportunity to scout the area before the time of your hunt, I think a guide would be money well spent. Zone 2 is big with lots of area that is very remote. Yours is the second week of moose hunting so the easy to access areas may have seen a lot of pressure before you get there.

I have done DIY moose hunts in NH three times but the areas were not as inaccessible as yours and were closer to home so the scouting was much easier. A key to our success in NH was to not limit ourselves to hunting areas where the moose could be extracted in one piece. Be prepared to pack the moose out in chunks! A saws-all with a long blade is very helpful.

Lightning struck for you. Congrats!
I know many, like me, who are over 20 points. Sometimes things just work out. Enjoy your preparation and planning!

Get a guide. A Registered Maine Guide.

Get your hunting vehicle ready. 10 ply tires. Two spares. Tools. Extra fuel containers. Battery. Back up battery.

Start talking to the guides in your zone now. They book pretty quick. Talk to a few, go with the one you connect with best in conversation.

Take lots of pictures. Video if you can. The trip of a lifetime!

If you decide to consider a guide give Kelly’s Camps a call in Allagash , used them for bear and as a base for moose hunting in zone 1 a few years back . Wade and Sue run a nice operation .

Thanks for the suggestions y’all. I have a lot to consider.

We anticipate difficult and remote. I never realized getting moose out whole was an option until I started down the YouTube rabbit hole.

Chainsaws, chainsaw winches, rugged come alongs and block and tackle with a lot of rope are useful if you plan on a DIY yourself hunt and recovery of your animal. Shooting moose road side doesn’t seem to happen as much as it used to and they’re almost always in a swamp or behind slash piles. Ticks have been hard on the moose herd albeit less so in the latitudes of zone 2. An up to date Delorme’s Maine gazetteer ain’t a bad thing to have either. If your hunting buddies that are tagging along also own reliable 4wd trucks it’s nice to be able to split up and cover more ground and communicate with hand held radios. Don’t count on cell phone service. Plus all the gear required plugs up one truck in a hurry. Early October can be 30 and spitting snow or it can be 75 degrees. If it’s going to be hot you’ll want a copious amount of ice and good coolers that hold ice for a week. Good luck with your hunt.

I'd spend some time at the local bars over the summer and get cozy with a skidder bitch. It will hurt at first, but will pay dividends if you get a moose.

Congrats! you drew a great zone. I have a friend of mine that guides in zone 2, he shoots some very nice bulls. Send me a pm if you want his info.

Lots of good info so far. Hunted.up there a few.times.for moose. What rifle will you be using?

That's a sweet stroke of luck on an excellent District and season. We hunted District 2 last September and saw moose every day. Pulled the trigger on Saturday afternoon on a respectable 750 lb. One of us had hunted there 7 years earlier and knew the general moosey areas a bit. I'd be glad to offer any info you might like. PM heading your way.

I’ll be using an original M700 BDL chambered in 8mm Rem Mag. I have handloads with some 200gr TSX. After some experimenting and load work up - along with seeing the capabilities first hand on a bull elk - I have become a very big fan of the ‘Big 8’. I imagine it’ll do just fine.

I have been kicking around the 350 Rem Mag, too - but the 8 is the one I keep coming back to. I guess I have summer to finalize the decision after working with both.

I've never hunted Maine. Are there any remote areas? I'd imagine streams, lakes, ponds, water would be the biggest obstacles outside of brush.

Congratulations on the tag. If you can bring lots of help. The hardest part can be keeping the meat from spoiling, it can get hot that time of year. Good luck and have fun. PM me if you want

It's not the Rocky's, but it is steep and has some pretty serious terrain. Even more serious with a moose on your back too I'd bet..

Congrats on drawing the tag OP! That is an excellent opportunity. The big 8 should be serious stuff, as would your 350 RM. Two cool moose options!

I knew the 350 rem mag with a 225gr nosler partition at 2750 puts the hurt on them

My dad got picked in unit 1 in 2013 and I have almost 30 points and still no luck. Congratulations !!! Definitely splurge on a guide. Units 1 and 2 are probably the best. We went with Matt Morgan who guides in 1 & 2. Highly satisfied.

Nice interesting choice.

If you hunt in a logged area, watch out for deep ruts made by logging equipment. Logging skidders can make thigh deep ruts that fill with water. A year or two of overgrowth and there are vicious man traps you can't easily see.

Congratulations!

I entered the Vermont lottery this year on a whim. The drawing is later this month.

I'll be following your thread with interest!

Chandler lake Camps, they will take care of you.

And be aware that though forums can be helpful. There are lots of folks who offer opinions, without facts. I live in zone 3, I bird hunt in zone 2. Beautiful area, but moose are more plentiful in the northern part of that zone. DIY is a possibility with good logistics.
You will road hunt, spot and stalk. If you DIY it's a camping trip with lots of riding around. Bring fuel and spare tires, sidewall cuts are common. Your vehicle needs to be well maintained. GPS can be unreliable, And cell phones may work from some hilltops. Get a Delorme Gazeteer. Safety is very important in the big woods, there is no helicopter rescue. MRS Radio is a good idea, the logging trucks literally owner the roads.

And an FYI, there are no bars, or restaurants and skidders are no longer used.

Send me a PM

This feller will steer you in the right direction.

I’ve been drawn once and my wife was drawn last year. I used a guide service both times. It’s worth the cost IMO. There aren’t as many moose around these days due to ticks. It used to be easy to drive around and shoot one near the road. Not so much these days. Good luck!

These guys have done their homework and got their preparations done. I like their chances!

I see that Trump JR shot a 59 incher in zone 5. Outfitter tag.

Bird hunted in2 Tuesday. Saw 14 moose including 2 Monday morning bulls and a couple that would make you think. Lots of people however

What's the terrain like up there? In regard to shot distance. I've always thought it to be very thick and a 150 yard shot would be a long one.

Ranges from large cuts to very thick. Most of the moose I saw were in 8-10 year old cuts or in wet areas. In many places you could certainly shoot more than 150 yards. In others,150 inches would be long range.

Congratulations on the draw and good luck. You have more than enough gun for those "little" moose down there. . Moose die easily usually - they may take awhile tho.

Good shot placement is essential - in heavy escape cover and within 100 yards, I prefer a cns shot. With a double lunger - they can go up to 200 yards, usually less. In the terraine I've hunted, I have several times been within a step or two of the downed animal before finding it.

They will be in rut, and calling is fun when they come in. The meat may not be too good tho. BTDT. I'd prefer an antlerless moose in that time frame, but what you have is what you have .

Have a grand time. Post us some pics.

Good cool morning to be packing a moose out.

Their story to tell.

Get ONX Hunt and plan your off-line maps carefully. Plus, according to my ME hunter friend, have 10 ply tires, or at least lots of them. He had 4 shredded on his Tahoe and was forced to get towed home!

So how did you make out? I saw someone posted yesterday that the success rate so far is 63%

I intend to post a little more about the trip soon.. but to not leave people hanging - we got it done at 7:01 on Monday morning (season opener)! 35” bull. What a thrilling trip. Lots of hard work, lots of feedback, and some luck got us in the right place first thing.

Congrats on your successful hunt. looking forward to more pic's and details about the trip.

Congrats! That's some fine eating there. Looking forward to your report!

Congratulations 17. I'm disappointed that we didn't have more time to talk yesterday, but we will catch up. Nice bull BTW.
donsm70

Congrats on the bull!

Congratulations on the bull.

Nice job! Looking forward to the full story!