Vermont’s auction for three moose hunting permits is open until 4:30 p.m. Aug. 12. Bids will be opened and winners notified on Aug. 13.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife board authorized a total of 55 permits for the 2020 moose season. Auction winners of three of those permits will hunt in Wildlife Management Unit E in the northeast corner of the state during the October 1-7 archery season, or in the October 17-22 regular season.
Bids must be entered with a sealed bid form available from Vermont Fish and Wildlife.
A minimum bid of $1,500 is required, and winning bids have typically been at least $4,000 when the number of permits available were higher. Bids do not include the cost of a hunting license (residents $28, nonresidents $102) or moose hunting permit fee ($100 for residents and $350 for nonresidents). Proceeds from the moose hunting permit auction help fund Vermont Fish and Wildlife educational programs.
“Moose density in WMU E, where the hunt will occur, is more than one moose per square mile, significantly higher than any other part of the state,” said Nick Fortin, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s biologist in charge of the moose project. “Moose densities greater than one per square mile support high numbers of winter ticks which negatively impact moose health and survival.”
“Research has shown that lower moose densities, like in the rest of Vermont, support relatively few winter ticks that do not impact moose populations,” said Fortin. “Reducing moose density decreases the number of available hosts which in turn decreases the number of winter ticks on the landscape. The goal is to improve the health of moose in WMU E by reducing the impact of winter ticks.”
Moose permit bid packets can be obtained by calling Fish and Wildlife at 802-828-1190 or by emailing Cheri.Waters@Vermont.gov.
