Vermont Allocates Moose Hunting Permits for 2025

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board voted on April 9 to have 80 either-sex moose hunting permits and 100 antlerless moose hunting permits available this year for a hunt limited to Vermont’s Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) E in the northeastern corner of the state.  The science-based hunt is expected to result in a harvest of about 86 moose, or about 10 percent of the current moose population in WMU E. 

Permit applications are now available on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website.

The goal of the department’s 2025 moose harvest recommendation is to improve the health of moose in WMU-E by reducing the number of moose and thereby reducing the abundance and impact of winter ticks. 

“Moose are abundant in WMU-E with significantly higher population density than in any other part of the state,” said Nick Fortin, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s moose project leader.  “The higher moose density supports high numbers of winter ticks which negatively impact moose health and survival.” 

Ongoing monitoring of moose health in WMU-E shows the population continues to be negatively impacted by winter ticks.  Birth rates are low, and many calves do not survive their first winter.

“Research has shown that lower moose densities 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.”

Lottery applications for moose permits are $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.  The deadline to apply is June 18.  Lottery winners need to purchase resident moose permits for $100 and nonresident moose permits for $350.  Lottery winners are also required to hold a current year Vermont hunting or combination hunting and fishing license. 

Hunters who held a permit within the past five years are not eligible to apply for a permit or to buy a bonus point.  Applicants must continue to annually submit a moose permit application if they wish to retain their past bonus permits and accumulate subsequent bonus points.

Five permits will be available to Vermont military veterans, three permits will be available for “Special Opportunity” recipients with life-threatening illnesses, and three permits will be auctioned in accordance with regulations. 

The 2025 Moose Harvest Recommendation and related information about moose research and management are available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.