Moose Hunting in Vermont

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Page by: Amanda Adams

Moose are viewed as an integral part of Vermont’s image. Hunters and non-hunters alike enjoy seeing them in the wild. Historically moose were forced out of the state when most of its habitat was logged. The state brought them back and now they have a population that can be hunted sustainably. This has not been without controversy. Some were against the start of the hunting season in 1993. This was the first year in many that the state allowed the hunting. It was very limited (only 30 permits). As the years have passed, the moose herd population has grown and with it the number of permits issued. Now, 20 years later, the population is still stable and the hunting culture very much alive. This page aims to educate the public about all the facets of moose hunting including the permit process, culture and history.

~AA

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Most of Vermont's moose are located in the northeast corner of Vermont called the Northeast Kingdom. This area is remote and is sparsely populated.

The Moose Lottery System

This news video and article describes the process of the moose lottery. There is a specific culture surrounding moose hunting. Starting with submissions for the moose permit lottery and ending with check-in stations where people wait to see the kill. The lottery is a great way to generate revenue for the VT Fish and Wildlife Service. Last year about 12,000 people entered. It costs $10 for Vermonters to enter and $25 for non-residents with the lottery entries totaling $170,000. This money will go towards conservation programs and hunter education. The day of the drawing is exciting and last year was broadcast live on the radio. Winners of the lottery pay $100 dollars for a resident permit and $350 for a non-resident permit. In 2013, the state issued 355 permits for the regular season and 50 for the early archery season.


Here is a link to the video and full article from WCAX

WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Reference:
Carlson, Kristin. "Lucky hunters win Vt. moose permits." WCAX.COM Local Vermont News. N.p., 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.wcax.com/story/22986547/winners-of-vt-moose-lottery-picked>.

~AA

The Moose Permit Auction

This article is a press release for the results of the 5 moose permits that were auctioned off by the VT Fish & Wildlife. For those not lucky enough to win a permit, the state also auctions off 5 moose permits. This is done through a sealed bid with the 5 highest amounts winning permits. In 2012 the five permits sold for a total of $22,094.05. The highest bids usually come from out of state entrants. This money goes exclusively to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife educational programs such as the Green Mountain Conservation Camps for teenagers.

Here is a link to the moose auction press release from the state. 

Vermont Moose Hunt Auction Results 2012 

Reference:
"Vermont Moose Hunt Auction Nets over $22,000 for Wildlife Education."Vermont.gov. Department of Fish and Wildlife, 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.vermont.gov/portal/government/article.php?news=3786>.
~AA

Health Issues of Moose

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20131027/GREEN01
/310270010/As-birth-rate-falls-Vermont-monitors-moose-herd-health

This article is about the health struggles of moose in Vermont. In the early 2000's state biologists recorded record low birthrates of 0.78 per mature cow in Essex County (Northeast Kingdom). This is most likely because they have exceeded their carrying capacity. To address this, the state issued more permits for this area. This practice has worked and the birthrate has rebounded to 1 births per mature cow, but is still below the healthy rate of 1.4 to 1.7. At its current state, biologists feel that Essex County has reached the target population. Another reason for declining moose health are winter ticks and brain worms. As the climate warms, the range of deer has moved north into moose habitat. Brain worms are tolerated by deer, but not moose. They cause damage to the moose's central nervous system and slowly  paralyze them on one side. This is accounting for nine percent of moose that are found dead. Ticks are also a problem for moose. Unlike deer they cannot clear ticks through grooming. They try to rub themselves on tree to try to remove the ticks and can cause skin to be exposed. A bigger threat is anemia from blood loss due to ticks. The state is now monitoring the tick infestation by counting the number on killed moose. These problems are associated with climate change and will be difficult if not impossible to combat. 

This is a link to the full article by the Burlington Free Press
As Birth Rate Falls, Vermont Monitors Moose

Reference:
Pollack, Sally . "As birth rate falls, Vermont monitors moose." Burlington Free Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20131027/GREEN01/310270010/As-birth-rate-falls-Vermont-monitors-moose-herd-health>.
~AA

The Controversial Albino Moose

http://www.jacksonslodgevt.net/fishing_hunting_vermont_nek.html

This article is about the controversy surrounding a teenage girl from Rutland, VT who shot a true albino moose. This was a 2 year old, white as snow moose with pink eyes and pink hooves. Some felt she shouldn't have shot it because it is rare that you see them in the wild. On the other side of the argument, they said why not shoot it. It was a moose. A person is lucky to win one permit in their lifetime so you have to take the opportunity if you see one. Currently there are no restrictions about hunting albino moose. State biologists estimate the rarity of albino moose to be 1 in 100,000. A reason for this statistic is that many of the albino moose do not survive to adulthood. Moose are born in the spring when the woods are greening up, so the white coat makes them more obvious to predators. 

Here is the link to the Burlington Free Press article.
The Legend of the Albino Moose

Reference:
Walsh, M. (2010, Oct 31). The legend of the albino moose. The Burlington Free Press. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/763020040?accountid=14679
~AA

VT Fish & Wildlife Big Game Management Plan
2010-2020 for Moose

This is the management report for moose from the Fish and Wildlife Department. It starts with the historical management. Both Native Americans and Europeans hunted moose throughout the year. While the forests were mostly intact and population low, the moose population was stable. However, as the European population grew and massive amounts of land were cleared for agriculture, moose became rare. As Vermont reforested, moose became more common until 1993 when there was enough to support a limited hunt. Since then the number of permits issued has grown. The table below shows the historical permits issued  and moose harvested each year.  

The 1998-2007 Moose Management Plan had 4 main objectives:

1)    "To maintain a healthy, viable moose population in Vermont"

a)    This was done by using harvest and mortality reports to estimate population, sex ratio, age structure and collecting other biological indices like carcass weight, birth rate and occurrence of parasites. 

2)    "To provide for the controlled growth of Vermont’s statewide moose population in all WMUs (Wildlife Management Units) except for the Northeast Kingdom region where population stabilization is desired."

a)    More permits were issued in the Northeast Kingdom to reduce the too high densities of moose

b)    Moose hunting continued in other areas to slow the rate of growth 

3)    “To maximize benefits from Vermont’s moose population within acceptable social and biological limits.”

            a)   Continue moose hunting

            b)     Allow moose hunting in other areas of Vermont

            c)     Coordinate with large property owners to increase hunter access to land

            d)    “Promote the ‘Hunters Sharing the Harvest’ program to provide moose meat to                        needy families”

            e)    Create landowner guidelines for moose habitat management

            f )    Create educational displays explaining moose management for fairs

4)    “To minimize negative interactions between humans and moose.”

           a)    Develop policy for Department to deal with “nuisance” moose

           b)    Continue to cooperate with VTrans to put warning signs at highway moose crossings

           c)    Annual press release to remind public of moose hazards and tips to avoid collisions

http://blog.rv.net/wp-content/moose-sign-dscf1967.jpg

http://majorityoftwo.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-meese-pleural-of-moose.htm

The issues and objectives for the 2010-2020 management plan have not changed much. There has been virtually no change in the methods to accomplish the objectives. There are 6 issues and goals outlined in their plan.

1)    “To maintain regional populations of healthy moose at or below cultural carrying capacity.”

            a)    Methods are the same as the 1998-2007 plan – objective 1

2)    “To minimize motor vehicle/moose collisions and other forms of damage by moose”

            a)    Methods are the same as the 1998-2007 plan – objective 4

3)    “To maximize quality moose hunting opportunity”

            a)    Methods are the same as the 1998-2007 plan – objective 2 and 3

4)    “To Provide safe and quality moose viewing opportunities”

            a)    Construct moose observation tower in Northeast Kingdom

            b)    Include moose in wildlife viewing guide on department website

5)    “To maintain a necessary habitat to support 3,000 to 5,000 moose on a sustained basis”

            a)    Use field studies to investigate and measure the amount of deer and moose browsing

            b)    Provide moose habitat management guidelines

6)    “Balance nutritional needs of regional moose and deer populations with the need for            adequate forest regeneration”

            a)    Develop study to determine carrying capacity of deer and moose in Vermont’s                           forests

            b)    Develop decision process to help managers determine the appropriate mix of moose                and deer densities for a given area

This is only an excerpt of the management plant. The full report can be found here:
VT Moose Management Report

Reference:
"Big Game Management Plan 2010 - 2020." Vermont Fish & Wildlife. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/Reports_and_Documents/Hunting_and_Trapping/Big_game/Big_Game_Management_Plan_%202010%20-%202020/_Chapter%203%20-%20Moose.pdf>.
~AA

A Perspective on Moose Hunting - My Interview with Northeast Kingdom Resident Rachel Riley

Have you ever seen a moose in Vermont?

- Yes! I have seen many moose in VT.

Does you or anyone you know hunt? What do they hunt?

- Almost all of my male and some of my female relatives and friends hunt. Mostly white tailed deer, but also bear, some moose if they can, turkeys, and coyotes, more for controlling them than for sport.

What are your opinions on hunting?

- I think that hunting is pretty normal, a lot of people do it for sport but almost everybody eats what they kill. Nothing is wasted and it keeps the population of deer and coyotes under control. I agree with it.

Do you know anybody that enters the moose lottery?

- I do know of some people that enter the lottery. I don't know them all personally but I pretty much know everyone on some level so yeah.

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Can you describe the lottery process?

- My boyfriend actually explained the lottery to me a few weeks ago. Basically there are several different zones in each state. Each zone has like a certain number of licenses that can be drawn for each one, so if I were to enter into the lottery then my name could be drawn for any of the zones. That could mean that I could win a license for Southern VT, and even if I live in Northern VT, I would only be allowed to hunt moose in the zone where I won the lottery.

Do you know anyone who has won the lottery?

- I don't know anyone personally who has won it but I know of several people who have.

How do people feel about winning the lottery?

- Most people are pretty happy about it, since they entered the lottery in hopes of winning it. I've also been told that once you win the lottery once, your chances of winning again increase, so the same people tend to win pretty often.

Do you think there is a difference between moose and other types of hunting?

-  I don't think there should be a big difference between moose and other types of hunting because of the population where I am from, but there is a difference because of the way you have to enter the lottery. I think that it should depend on where you live and what the animal population looks like for that area, and then they can sell a certain amount of tags and whoever buys them first gets them.

---Interview recorded on 4/20/14 by Amanda Adams

Conclusion

After thoroughly researching the topic of moose hunting in Vermont, I have come to some conclusions. First, a culture surrounds moose hunting. Even with the small amount of permits issued each year, thousands of people pay to enter the lottery in the hopes of winning. There are people that will come from far and near to check stations to see moose kills of the year. In some busy stations like St. Johnsbury, there is a festive atmosphere with food, music and people. It is a big deal to win a permit and successfully hunt a moose. If a person wins and kills a moose, they cherish the meat that fills their freezer and share it with neighbors and friends. Second, the sales of lottery entries, moose permits, and auctioned moose permits, raise funds that the VT Fish & Wildlife Department desperately need. The auctioned permits alone generate around $20,000 that goes directly to hunter and conservation education. Third, moose hunting is a form of population management. If there are too many moose per square mile, they will over browse and cause habitat degradation. State biologists will use these population densities to decide how many moose permits to issue. The future of hunting moose and just the presence of moose in Vermont are in jeopardy. Climate change is pushing the deer and tick range further north. They now overlap with moose and are causing health problems in moose. The warmer weather is also having a negative impact on their population. Moose may continue to move north and even out of Vermont entirely. If climate change continues, moose may be wiped out of Vermont's landscape again. 
~AA