Moose Hunt Lottery

The window to apply for a moose hunting permit is mid-January to midnight on the last Friday in May.

Lottery Drawing/Unit Assignment: Permittee candidates are selected through a computer-generated random number draw.

Each applicant selected in the lottery drawing is assigned to hunt within a wildlife management unit of his or her choice, except when the permit quota for that unit has already been filled. In cases where the quota in the applicant's first choice unit has been filled, the applicant will be assigned to the next unfilled unit of his or her choice, as indicated on the application. Applicants are considered for antlerless-only permits if no either-sex permits are available and the application indicates the applicant is willing to accept an antlerless-only permit. Any unit not ranked on the application form indicates that the applicant does not wish to hunt in that unit, even if it is the only unit where a permit quota has not yet been filled. Alternate candidates are selected to fill any permits not taken by the original applicants selected.

Your chance of being drawn and offered a permit in the lottery will increase if you rank all wildlife management units on your application. You will have the option to decline a permit if drawn for a unit you prefer not to hunt.

Bonus Points: NH Fish and Game has a bonus point system to improve the chance of success for unsuccessful applicants who apply each year. Unsuccessful applicants accrue one point for each consecutive year that they apply for the lottery. Each point translates to a chance in the drawing. Don't forget: Applicants lose all accrued points if they do not apply to the lottery for one year, or if they are offered and accept a moose permit.

Notification of Winners: Successful applicants are notified within 10 working days of the drawing. Moose hunting information packets are mailed in mid- August, and permits are mailed in mid-September.