The odds of drawing a moose tag in VT, ME, and NH are low and with only 10% going to out of state residence the odds are even lower for them. I have been entering the lottery in VT for eleven years now and slightly shorter for ME and NH. I was wondering how many years others have gone? Are you a resident or nonresident, and how many years till you were drawn or how many years of not getting drawn?

Well it's all changed now. In 2003 I got drawn for VT moose the first time I applied and the next year I got drawn for NH the second time I applied. That same year my wife was drawn for VT the first time she applied. 2003-2004 were good times for moose up there. I haven't drawn since so in 2009 I bought an auction tag for VT. Now the Moose are largely gone and the permit allocations are down 90%.

Maine still has good numbers. I'd put my eggs in that basket.
If by some miracle you or I pull a VT tag next month we still have an uphill battle. The part of Caledonia county VT I hunted in 2003 was filthy with moose sign. In 2009 I hunted the exact same place and there wasn't even half the sign. In the winter of 2012 I went there on a scouting trip and only found one set of tracks in the snow. Now, a local guy tells me the moose aren't even around there anymore.

Maine moose permits are down over thirty percent of what they were several years ago.

Whats causing such a sharp decline in the moose population?

Up here...winter ticks and too many permits. IF&W had way too many permits and finally cut back on the number in the northern zones.

VT and NH say winter ticks and brainworm. But I can tell you first hand they were decimating the herd through too many permits before the tick problem hit.

I've applied every year since Vermont began its moose season and I've never been drawn, I think I'm 0-23. I don't apply in very many zones so that reduces my chances to some degree. I had 2 daughters drawn back in 2010.
VT was intentionally reducing the moose population in some zones which is why the number of permits was so high from '05ish to '10. About the time they'd reduced the moose population to where they wanted it we had a couple mild winters which caused the winter ticks to explode and took a toll on the now-reduced moose herd.

After 18 years, I just drew a Maine bull tag for zone 7.

Sweet!

Congratulations CWD! Have a great hunt and good luck.

I have probably put in for a Maine tag for about 15 years.

I used to apply to Maine,did so for about 10 yrs,never got lucky,and havn't applied for about 10 yrs

I've been applying for Non-Resident Maine moose for almost 25 years, no luck.

I went out to the mailbox on Friday and found a brochure from a Maine outfitter with a handwritten address. Then another. And another.

Now I had checked this years results and so did the guy I enter with. We both missed my name, due to a spelling anomaly it wasn't where it should be, but I went back in the house and I found it on the page. Finally drawn for a bull in Zone 2.

Now the research begins, finding an outfitter, figuring out how to transport the kill. The fun stuff.

Congrats RecoilRob. Get a big one. What gun you planning to use?

Couple of choices available, I like vintage stuff so perhaps a Sav. 99 in .358, a Rem. 720 in 30.06, 8mm Mauser, haven't decided.
I will be bringing a Stainless/plastic MRC .308 if the weather's bad.

All good choices!

Congrats Rob. That's some nice country up there. Working in that unit this summer some actually out in the bush. I worked unit 4 two weeks ago and saw 7 moose in 3 days just riding roads.

Hope you smack a nice bull. One outfitter that comes to mind is Tyler Kelly camps up near there. All of those rifles will kill, load some nice bullets and put them where they are supposed to land.

Good luck and if you need anything holler.

KAMO GARI shot a moose in NH a few years ago. IIRC, he wrote it up on AR.

Rob; I drew a bull permit last year for zone 3 after 26 years of applying. I used Jesse Cote at Backwoods Guide Service in Caribou 207-227-8531. He runs a serious hunting operation. Primarily bear hunts but he knows moose and puts together a good bunch of guides, butcher shop, has a nice camp and a good taxidermist too. He treats veterans right which closed the deal for me.

CWD; I had a cow moose permit for NH in 2008. I used Keith Roberge at Northern NH Guide Services 603-466-5632. He's right across the state line from your zone in Gorham, NH and last I heard he guides in your Maine zone. I shot a 610 pound cow on opening morning after a 2 1/2 hour hunt where we saw 28 moose. If your considering a guide he might be worth a call. Best of luck!

And now the real work begins....

Nice hunts Mike, congratulations.

I have made arrangements with Lee Schantz Guide Service, he was independently recommended by both the guides I had tried to book but were full up. He's on the board of directors of the Maine Guides Assoc. and after speaking with the man I am confident he will do what it takes.

I have to research meat processors and such and a way to get it all back to NY but that's fun stuff. Practice shooting, lose some winter weight, all good things.

Thanks for the advice from all, keep it coming.

Thanks for the referral Mike. I booked Matt Tinker (Green Farm Guide service). Matt lives in WMD 7 and is a year round guide. Thanks for the luck !!!

Ive used Lee Schanz services on a couple of occasions,honest ,hard working ,one of the best imoa.

Good to hear, how's his cooking?


Strangely enough we have a moose in town now, 25 miles from NYC...

http://ossining.dailyvoice.com/news...n-ossining/669917/#.V3dFVEvmvNE.facebook

His wife,Kelly,did most of the cooking when we hunted with Lee. She is an excellent cook!

That was probably at his main camp, we'll be in a remote camp, wall tent, in Zone 2, might be a bit more rustic but I'll survive. Lee will be in camp with us.

Lee is an excellent moose caller!Ive used him for bird hunting,fishing ,and deer hunting.I hunted moose with Hal Bloods outfit in 2002.Lee has guided some for Hal.

Good Luck !!!

I got my mount back on Saturday from Carl's Taxidermy in Van Buren and I'll definitely recommend his work when you get your bull. Thank God he wasn't a big one. It took longer to hang it on the wall than to drag him out of the woods.


Good luck to all; Mike

Nice mount Mike, congratulations. I live in a small Cape style house, interior walls are no more than 8ft tall, no room for a mount, it would look like that old cartoon with the rest of the moose behind the wall...

I'll take the horns and put them on the outside of the garage...

I could kick myself in the ass for not just putting the horns on a plaque. Once I moved out of my house with high ceilings I had nowhere to go with my moose mounts so I sold them.

Was going over some old posts and found this thread...the rest of the story!

Dressed at 742#, 42". Taken on Tuesday, 10/11, right at dusk, about 75yds, quartering front shoulder, Rem. M30 in .35 Whelen. Went about 15 yds and lay down. Been eating moose since....

And best of all, he's near the truck!

Roger that!

Congrats on the bull and thanks for posting the update.

Rob,what bullet and load? did you end up hunting with Lee?

I did end up going with Lee Schantz, worked out well, knows his stuff when it comes to calling and put in the scouting time the week before. The first week of the season he had 4 tags in camp, including his dad. Three went over 900 lbs. The week I was there it was pretty windy which makes calling much harder. When we finally saw this one he gave me the choice, he said we might find better but maybe not. Most of the really large ones are taken the first week. I thought it over for about a minute then took the shot. It gave us Wed. to get it weighed and to the processor and then we chased partridge for a couple of days. When I weighed it in it was in the top 10% of those weighed the second week.

It was a Remington Factory Load, 250g Soft point.

Maine got me again this year. I'm officially giving up on the lottery. I booked a moose hunt in Newfoundland, no lottery required.

I've applied in Vermont every year since it began and I've never been drawn. I've been on a couple unsuccessful hunts as a second shooter. In 2010 both my 13 and 15 year old daughters were drawn and I acted as guide for them so that I could switch back and forth. They each killed VT moose that year. Lots of great memories from that week so if I never get drawn at least I've got that.

I would put in for Vt except for the fact that I've already taken two Moose from that state and I'd feel guilty about three when so many have never been drawn.

I have seen more moose this year than I have in a long while. IF&W also said that calf winter survival rate in the area they look at was 50% which is higher than years past, most years it is 25%. Damned ticks.

Had a buddy of mine draw a Maine sept bull tag in zone 5 after putting in for 30 years..