Moose Hunt Update – Half of N.H. Moose Hunters Successful So Far

CONCORD, N.H. — As of Wednesday, October 21, a total of 265 moose had been taken in the 2009 New Hampshire moose hunt (158 bulls and 107 cows). That means that just over half (51%) of hunters holding moose permits had succeeded by the mid-way point in the state’s moose hunt, very similar to the hunter success rate at this point in the moose season last year. The nine-day season runs through Sunday, October 25, 2009.

“Hunters have reported seeing a lot of big bulls this year,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Moose Project Leader Kristine Rines. “People have observed quite a few groups of bachelor bulls together, suggesting that the rut, or breeding season, is pretty much over.” Read more

Get Your 2010 New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife Calendar!

CONCORD, N.H. — The all-new 2010 New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife Calendar has arrived, featuring twelve months of amazing wildlife photography, plus dates outdoor enthusiasts need to know, such as opening day for New Hampshire’s trout ponds, youth hunt weekends, and free fishing day. This beautiful wall calendar will remind you through the seasons of New Hampshire’s rich wildlife resources and exciting outdoor opportunities.

The New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife calendar is priced at $9.95. Ideal for home or office use, it is the perfect gift for friends and relatives who love the outdoors and wild critters. To order, use the print-and-mail order form available at http://www.wildnh.com/Shop/calendar.html (shipping is free for 1-5 calendars). You can also buy calendars at New Hampshire Fish and Game headquarters on Hazen Drive in Concord and at selected retail outlets around the state.

The 2010 N.H. Fish & Wildlife calendar features images by professional wildlife photographers, including Charles Willey, Roger Irwin, Alan Briere and Dwight Kuhn. Representing the spectrum of N.H. wildlife, the calendar photos include a leaping snowshoe hare, a colorful wood duck and two moose peering over a frosty landscape. For a preview, visit http://www.wildnh.com/Shop/calendar.html.

Calendar purchases help support the N.H. Fish and Game Department’s work managing the natural resources we all enjoy — the state’s fish and wildlife and their habitats — as well as promoting conservation education and creating opportunities for outdoor recreation in New Hampshire.

Don’t forget, if your school or club needs a worthwhile fundraiser, group sales of the 2010 N.H. Fish & Wildlife calendar is a great way to raise money for your school or community group. Find out more about this option, incuding a fundraising kit you can download, at http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q3/calendar_fundraiser_081809.html,
or call (603) 271-6355.

RETAILERS: If you would like to carry the 2010 N.H. Fish & Wildlife calendar in your shop or store, contact Mark Beauchesne for wholesale pricing and ordering info at 603-271-6355.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.WildNH.com.

Moose Hunt Opening Weekend Brings 26% Success

CONCORD, N.H. – More than a quarter of New Hampshire’s moose hunters were successful during the first two days of the season, achieving a 26% success rate on the opening weekend of the hunt. On Saturday and Sunday (October 17 and 18), a total of 134 moose were taken by moose hunters statewide – 80 bulls and 54 cows.

“Moose hunting can be affected greatly by the weather, which was varied around the state this weekend,” said Kristine Rines, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s moose biologist. “In Berlin, it was sunny and warm for Saturday’s opening day. Moose are less active on warm, sunny days, with the result being that hunters were less successful in locating moose. Things picked up on Sunday when seasonably cool weather afforded more opportunity to the state’s moose hunters.”

One successful opening weekend hunter was Richard Noyes of Hancock, who bagged a bull moose that topped 1,300 pounds (live weight), with an antler spread of 53.75 inches, in WMU C-2 in Errol on Sunday. It was late in the afternoon, about 4:30 p.m., and Noyes and his hunting party were changing a tire on a back country road, cursing their luck. Shortly after they got the tire changed, Noyes’ prize bull and three other moose appeared in an adjoining clearing. Had it not been for the delay caused by the tire change, Noyes would have missed the prize of his life!

New Hampshire’s nine-day moose hunt continues through Sunday, October 25, 2009.

This year, more than 14,500 people entered the 2009 moose hunt lottery, held last spring, for a chance to win one of the 515 permits drawn for the New Hampshire moose hunt.

For more about moose hunting in New Hampshire, including a list of check stations, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.HuntNH.com.

Info Meeting on Wild Goose Boat Access Site/Lake Sunapee – Oct. 20

CONCORD, N.H. — State Senator Martha Fuller Clark has invited the public to learn more about the status of the proposed Wild Goose Boat Access Site on Lake Sunapee at an informational meeting on October 20, 2009, at 1:30 pm in the Legislative Office Building, 33 North State Street in Concord, Room 305-307.

Individuals from the N.H. Fish and Game Department, the N.H. Department of Resources and Economic Development and the N.H. Department of Environmental Services will offer an update on the status of various permits related to the boat ramp and take questions from the public.

All people interested in the potential of boat access at Lake Sunapee may wish to demonstrate that interest by attending the meeting.

N.H. Fish and Game Department is the state agency charged with responsibility to establish public boating access for the benefit of all citizens. For more information on the Wild Goose Boat Access Site, visit http://www.wildnh.com/access/wildgoose.

N.H. Moose Hunt Is October 17 – 25, 2009

CONCORD, N.H. — For nine exciting days, from October 17 to 25, 2009, lucky moose permit holders and their hunting partners will have the experience of a lifetime taking part in New Hampshire’s annual moose hunt. There were 515 permit holders drawn in this year’s lottery, randomly selected by computer from a pool of more than 14,500 applicants.

Each hunter with a moose permit is assigned to hunt in one of 22 wildlife management units throughout the state; most have spent the past several weeks or months scouting out potential hunting spots. Each moose hunter may be accompanied by one partner. Last fall, New Hampshire hunters took 333 moose, for a statewide success rate of 65%. Regional success rates for moose hunters last year ranged from 83% in the North Region to 38% in southeastern New Hampshire. Hunters assigned to northern units typically have the greatest success, because of higher moose densities and excellent access to hunting lands in the North Country.

After taking a moose, hunters must have the animals registered and inspected at one of seven check stations around the state. There, wildlife biologists check each moose to gain information about the overall health of the moose herd. These check stations draw many interested onlookers, a reminder of the economic and symbolic importance of moose in New Hampshire, particularly in the North Country. Find a list of locations at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

As part of a sound management strategy, the moose hunt has been an annual event in New Hampshire since 1988. The moose population was only about 50 animals in 1950; it had grown to over 4,100 by the time of the first moose hunt in 1988, when 75 permits were issued.

Hunters are reminded to avoid consuming moose liver and kidney. Studies conducted by Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have revealed high levels of cadmium in some of the moose livers and kidneys sampled. As a result, officials from the Environmental Health Program at the N.H. Department of Environmental Services recommend that no moose kidney be eaten, and preferably no liver. If individuals do choose to eat moose liver, it should be from moose no older than 1.5 years. If the moose is older than that, consumption should be limited to a maximum of two meals (assuming six ounces per meal) of moose liver per year. Biologists at the moose check stations can determine the age of the animal for hunters. Further questions about the issue of cadmium in moose organs may be directed to David Gordon, DES Environmental Health Program: (603) 271-4608.

Applications for next year’s moose hunt will be available via the Fish and Game website or license agents statewide between January and May 2010.

Visit a photo gallery from the 2008 N.H. moose hunt — and find out more about moose hunting in New Hampshire — at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

Illegal fish introductions; Hunter Ed courses done for season

BIG FISH/WRONG PLACE! BIOLOGISTS WARN OF ILLEGAL FISH INTRODUCTIONS — A recent catch from Lake Winnisquam has N.H. Fish and Game Department fisheries biologists sounding the alarm about illegal introductions of fish into the state’s lakes. A large Northern pike of this size is a real trophy, yet this fish had been illegally transported to the Lakes Region and illegally stocked into Winnisquam. Full story: http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q4/Illegal_fish_introductions_100909.html

SUCCESSFUL SEASON OF HUNTER EDUCATION COURSES DONE; COURSES RESUME IN 2010 — Hunter Education courses in New Hampshire are now complete after a successful 2009 season; courses resume in early 2010. A few courses remain underway, but there are no new Hunter or Bowhunter Education courses available. Full story: http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q4/Hunter_Ed_09_courses_done_100909.html

Fall Turkey Hunt; Snowmobile Decal Deadline; Hensel Wins Bronze

FALL TURKEY HUNTING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire’s five-day fall shotgun turkey hunting season takes place Monday through Friday, October 12-16, 2009, in 8 select Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the Connecticut River Valley and southwest portions of the state. The fall archery season for turkey runs September 15 – December 15 statewide (except WMU A in northern N.H.). Full story: http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q4/fall_turkey_hunting_2009.html.

SNOWMOBILE VANITY DECAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 15
New Hampshire resident snowmobile owners take note — the deadline for submitting an application for a vanity snowmobile registration decal is October 15 for registration to be issued by December 1. Full story: http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q4/Vanity_plates_OHRV_2009.html.

CO MARK HENSEL WINS BRONZE MEDAL AT 2009 WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer Mark Hensel, of Sanbornville, N.H., won a bronze medal in the Biathlon at the World Police and Fire Games held this year in Vancouver, Canada. Full story: http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q4/world_games_mhensel_2009.html.

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