More Moose Permits Available for 2020 Season
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- Created on Monday, 04 May 2020 13:02
- Written by Sarah-Ellen Calise
AROUND THE NEK - 55 moose permits have been allocated for 2020's hunting season. After zero permits being issued in 2019, more permits are being allowed for this season.
In Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) E, which is located in the northeastern corner of Vermont, the moose population is higher than the rest of the state. This increases the number of winter ticks that are being seen which negatively impacts moose health and survival.
This year the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department partnered with the University of Vermont (UVM) to conduct a study of moose heath in WMU E. 126 moose, which included 36 cows and 90 calves, were fitted with GPS tracking collars. The results of this study showed that moose health has been impacted by the high winter tick loads. Although many adult moose survived, birth rates were very low, and less than half of the calves survived the first winter.
"Given the poor health of the moose population in that area and a clearly identified cause, we need to take action to address this issue. Without intervention to reduce the moose population, high tick loads will continue to impact the health of moose in that region for many years," says Nick Fortin a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department biologist.
To help these moose, the department will issue 55 either-sex moose hunting permits. These permits will only be issued to hunt moose in WMU E during the normal moose season in October.
The deadline to apply for the moose lottery is July 8th and can be found at www.vtfishandwildlife.com. Applications are $10 for residents and $25 for non-residents. By law, five permits will be available to Vermont military veterans. Up to three permits will be available for "special opportunity" recipients.
