Around the state this year, preliminary numbers show moose hunters having a 73% success rate in the Connecticut Lakes Region; 82% in the North Region; 64% in the White Mountain Region; 51% in the Central Region; 45% in the Southwest Region; and 35% in the Southeast Region.

New Hampshire’s 2012 moose season wrapped up on Sunday, October 28. Preliminary figures show that 174 hunters succeeded in taking their moose during the 9-day season. With a total of 281 permits issued, this represents a statewide success rate of 62%. That’s down from last year, when 71% of hunters got their moose. The breakdown for the harvest this year was 61% bulls and 39% cows. Final season results will be available upon completion of registration data entry and analysis.

Several factors contributed to the increase in the antlerless moose harvest and the decrease in overall success rate, according to Fish and Game moose biologist Kristine Rines. “There were more Antlerless-Only moose permits issued this year, which helped increase the percentage of cows in the take,” said Rines. “Hunter success overall was also affected by the reduced moose population and the unusually warm weather. By this time of year, moose have grown their heavy winter coats, so they really feel the heat. On warm days, they tend to bed down, making them harder for hunters to find. The first day of the season was decent, but after that, it was much too warm, except very early in the morning, for moose to be moving about.”

Some hunters also reportedly cut their hunts short to head home before the arrival of developing Hurricane Sandy.

Check out a growing gallery of successful New Hampshire moose hunters at HuntNH.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

In all, more than 13,400 people entered the moose hunt lottery for a chance to win a permit for the New Hampshire moose hunt. About 85 percent of the permits went to New Hampshire residents. The odds of winning a moose permit in the lottery are among the best in the nation, about 1 in 26 for New Hampshire residents and 1 in 85 for nonresidents.

The 2013 moose hunt lottery opens in late January and runs through May 31, 2013. Watch HuntNH.com for details.