Public Hearing April 25 on Proposed Vermont Moose Hunt
OutdoorHub 04.18.12
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board will hold a public hearing Wednesday, April 25, on the proposed regulation for the 2012 moose hunt. The hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in St. Leo’s Hall, 109 South Main Street, Waterbury.
A total of 385 moose hunting permits will be issued for Vermont’s 20th annual regular October moose season under a proposed regulation before the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board.
The board voted unanimously at their February meeting on the proposal presented by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department biologists that allocates moose hunting permits in 17 of the state’s 26 Wildlife Management Units.
The 385 permits proposed by the department represent a slight decrease from the 405 permits issued last year. Under the proposal, hunters are expected to harvest over 200 animals during the Oct. 20-25 season.
“Given Vermont’s track record of hunting success rates, this proposal allows us to achieve moose population goals for various parts of the state that have been set in the 10-Year Big Game Management Plan,” said biologist Cedric Alexander, Vermont’s moose project leader. “It’s the intent of this proposal to allow slow population growth in some regions of the state and stabilize moose numbers in other parts of the state.”
Alexander estimates Vermont has 2,500 to 3,000 moose statewide with the greatest concentration occurring in the Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont also holds a special “archery-only” moose season. Fifty permits will be awarded for the Oct. 1-7, 2012 archery moose season.
Moose hunting permit lottery applications, $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents, will be available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) in early May. Printed applications are scheduled to be available at license agents in early June.
