New Hampshire Whitetail |
|
| SEASON' S OUTLOOK / MOOSE |
While moose are very well adapted to harsh winter conditions, they are affected by deep snow and crust, two plentiful conditions this winter. Calves can have difficulty getting through snow that’s deeper than 23 inches and adults can have problems in 36 inches. A crust on almost any depth of snow can make travel difficult for all age classes and restrict their ability to get to available browse.
These conditions, coupled with a normal winter tick infestation, may have caused a higher than normal winter mortality rate. The animals hardest hit would be calves and adult bulls. Winter conditions were most difficult in the eastern portion of the North, White Mountains and Central regions, with snow pack reaching depths of 46 inches in Errol.
We won’t know what percentage of these sex and age classes was lost until this fall’s moose observation rate survey results are available. We can say with some confidence that some losses likely occurred and that such losses could influence the upcoming hunt in some management areas. A decline in hunter success in the North region, and perhaps the White Mountains and Central regions, is a possibility. If the winter was hard enough to impact calves and adult bulls, we may see a greater percentage of “teenage” bulls and cows taken.
The Southwest had an easier winter but still saw significant snow depths in unit K. Winter mortality here is probably considerably less than in the northern three regions. Impacts on hunting success should be light. The Southeast had a very easy time of it in comparison to the rest of the state and should have had only typical winter mortality rates. The success rate there will probably be similar to previous years, averaging 25 percent.
If winter losses were higher than expected, prudent management decisions, coupled with natural moose population resiliency, should allow for a quick rebound of the moose population in the future.
