The winners of Vermont’s 2015 moose hunting permits were determined Thursday, July 16, at a lottery drawing in Barre.
Governor Peter Shumlin, standing alongside Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter, started the computer-generated selection process that randomly picked 265 winners from more than 9,500 lottery applicants.
The drawing is done by a random sort of applications that were submitted by a June 17, 2015 deadline.
As part of the regular lottery drawing, a “special priority drawing” was held for five permits to go to applicants who have received, or are eligible to receive, a Campaign Ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The unsuccessful applicants from the Iraqi-Afghanistan drawing were included in the larger regular drawing that followed. All applicants for both drawings who did not receive a permit were awarded a bonus point to improve their chances in future moose permit lotteries.
The lottery was held for 40 moose permits to be used in the Vermont’s October 1-7 archery moose hunting season and 225 moose permits for the October 17-22 regular moose season.
“Today’s lottery drawing helps celebrate one of Vermont’s successes in science-based wildlife management,” said State Wildlife Biologist Cedric Alexander. “Vermont’s first moose hunt was in 1993, when 25 moose were taken with 30 permits issued. We expect close to 120 moose will be taken this fall in a carefully regulated hunt.”
Winners in this year’s moose hunting lottery are posted in a searchable database on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website.
If your name wasn’t drawn, you can still bid in Vermont’s auction for five moose hunting permits, which is open until August 13. Sealed bids must be received by Vermont Fish & Wildlife by 4:30 p.m. that day. Contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to receive a moose permit bid kit. Telephone 802-828-1190 or email (cheri.waters@state.vt.us).
Vermont has about 2,400 moose statewide with the greatest concentration in the Northeast Kingdom.