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Want a chance for an affordable hunt for the largest deer in the world? Think about applying for a moose permit in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All three states let you do a self-guided hunt, and all offer an exceptional chance for success. But in order to hunt this fall, you'll have to act soon. Maine: Maine has a six-day moose season timed to coincide with the anticipated peak of the rut. In 1996, they gave out 1,500 permits with 150 reserved for non-residents. The odds of being drawn are long, but since the non-resident application fee is only $10 and no license is required to apply, it's worth the gamble. Applications are available from Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Moose Application, 284 State Street, Station 41, Augusta, ME 04333, phone 207-287-2871, fax 207-287-6395. Deadline is April 30. On your application, you will also be asked to designate a subpermittee (who may hunt with you and can actually shoot the moose) and an alternate. One way to increase your odds is to be named as designated subpermittee on other applications--get your friends to apply, too. New Hampshire: The odds of drawing a permit for the nine-day season in New Hampshire are much better than Maine. Thirteen percent of the 475 permits are reserved for non-residents. In New Hampshire permits are issued for a specific zone, and some of the zones in southern New Hampshire just don't have very good moose hunting. I was drawn for zone H2 in 1994, didn't see any trophies, and had to hunt very hard. But I killed a nice young bull just seven miles from my back door! The northern half of the state has excellent hunting and trophy potential. The process for applying for a New Hampshire moose permit is similar to Maine's. A $10 non-refundable fee must accompany your application. All the money from this lottery is earmarked for moose management. If you win, permits are $300 for non-residents, $100 for residents. Applications are available now from New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Moose Lottery, 2 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301, phone 603-271-3211. The deadline is May 31. Vermont: Vermont issues 75 permits for its three-day October season. Ten percent of the permits are reserved for non-residents. There's a $10 application fee, but no license is required to apply, and there's no charge for the permit if you're drawn. For an application and more information, write Vermont Department of Fish And Wildlife, 103 South Main, Waterbury, VT 05676, phone 802-241-3700, fax 802-241-3295. Some thoughts to keep in mind if you are considering a moose hunt in New England: You can do a self-guided hunt easily for under $1,000, but be prepared to spend a lot of time scouting. The hunts are in October, terrain is often difficult, and the weather can be highly variable. On a do-it-yourself hunt, have plans to get your animal out of the woods and to care for meat and cape--you can't drag a moose like a deer. The most popular rifles are .30-06 and .308 with solidly constructed 180-grain bullets. You can use a bow or muzzleloader if you wish, and any moose is legal. Finally, don't underestimate New England's wilderness. Get in shape, dress properly, and carry the same emergency gear you'd carry on any wilderness hunt. Yellow, Silver, and White On Ice Three relatively small, supremely abundant fish provide excellent sport through the ice, especially the last ice of the season. Yellow perch, white perch, and rainbow smelt are all worthy quarry for light-tackle anglers. They are abundant and prolific enough that catching a mess for the table isn't any great problem--and they taste great. Yellow perch are so ubiquitous, I can tell you exactly where to go to catch a bunch. Almost anywhere! If you don't know of a pond or lake in the Northeast with a good perch population, you don't know many ponds or lakes. If you're really stumped, ask at the nearest tackle shop. Or, you can do what I do when in a strange area--drive around until you see a congregation of ice anglers and start asking questions. White perch and smelt may be a little harder to find. In my neighborhood, only a few ponds have white perch--but they tend to have lots of them. Smelt, on the other hand, are big-water fish. You'll find them in deep, cold, pristine lakes, and in salt water at least from Cape Cod north. There's a thriving cottage industry serving smelt anglers on Great Bay in New Hampshire, at several coastal locations in Maine, and on Lakes Memphremagog and Champlain in Vermont. While you can use tip-ups and minnows to fish for both species of perch, a jigging stick and small flashy spoons such as the venerable Swedish Pimple can do extremely well. I like to cut a bunch of holes and move from one to another until I find a school of perch feeding. I then stay there until the fish move on. Smelt fishermen tend to hole up in shanties, and they fish with several handlines baited with tiny pieces of worm on a small hook. Highly technical it isn't, but detecting the bite of a finicky smelt takes some finesse and sharp reflexes. This kind of friendly ice fishing is best enjoyed in a group--preferably with your family as well as your friends. Bring everyone along and make a day of it--and plan for a fish fry as the sun goes down! Later on in the winter you'll find the female perch full of tender, tasty roe--the best eating of all. Shed Spread Late winter and early spring is an important time for serious deer hunters. Melting snow reveals many secrets--last season's rubs and scrapes, and the shed antlers of the trophies which made it through the hunting season. As the snow melts, spend some time on foot in your favorite deer hunting areas. Move slowly, look closely, and you may just find the key piece of information that brings you and a trophy buck together next fall. Put Power In Your Fishing The absolute hottest hotspots for early season fishing here in the Northeast are the warm-water outflows from oil, coal, and nuclear electricity generating plants. While the surrounding waters are still frigid and the fish sluggish, these outflows present what amounts to summer in miniature, and whole populations of forage and game fish thrive in these micro environments. Last March I enjoyed an absolutely spectacular day of fly fishing for striped bass with guide Jeff Northrop (P. O. Box 2540, Westport, CT 06880, phone 203-226-1915). Jeff fishes the outflow of the LILCO oil-fired power plant on Long Island. My fishing partner, Jerry Gibbs of Outdoor Life, boated more than 60 stripers from 2 to 12 pounds, and Jerry had one to the boat which would have easily weighed in the 40-pound range. Terrific fishing. To get in on it, give Jeff a call. Or you can try some other proven striper-holders on your own, including Maine Yankee and Cousin's Island in Maine, Schiller and Newington in New Hampshire, Brayton Point and L Street in Massachusetts, Montville and AES in Connecticut, Port Jefferson and LILCO in New York, Oyster Creek and Salem in New Jersey, and Chalk Point and Morgantown in Maryland. Copyright (c) 1997 All Outdoors, Inc. All rights reserved. |
