The New Hampshire moose hunt application period is open, and the application and information booklet can be found at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/moose.html. Your application must be postmarked or submitted online by midnight (EDT) on May 29, 2026. Anyone who obtained a moose permit in 2023, 2024, or 2025 is not eligible to apply for a permit or accrue a bonus point in 2026. The moose drawing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on June 19, 2026. Only successful applicants will be notified. Results of the drawing will be posted at www.huntnh.com on lottery day.
Go on More Hunts with Better Information, Join Huntin' Fool Today!Moose applications must be submitted by paper or online. Paper applications can be found at https://www.ildlife.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt746/files/documents/moose-lottery-app.pdf, but we encourage you to apply online where you will be given instant confirmation that your application has been received, thus reducing the likelihood of your application being rejected due to errors or not being received by the due date. You can apply online at https://www.nhfishandgame.com/Instructions.aspx?m.
New Hampshire requires you to pay a non-refundable application fee. You do not need to pay for a hunting license or a moose permit unless you are successful in the drawing. New Hampshire does not allow hunters to apply as a party
The percentage of permits issued to non-residents shall not exceed the percentage of hunting licenses sold to non-residents the previous year—approximately 15% to 17%. Permits are selected through a computer-generated random-number drawing. Each applicant selected in the drawing is assigned their first choice unless the permit quota for that unit has already been filled. In cases where the quota in the applicant’s first choice unit has been filled, the applicant will be assigned to the next unfilled unit of their choice as indicated on the application. If all listed choices have been filled, the applicant will be unsuccessful in the drawing. Applicants not selected in the drawing will not be notified. If a successful applicant accepts a moose permit, they must wait three years before applying for another moose permit. Bonus points also cannot be accrued during this three-year waiting period.
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New Hampshire requires you to pay a non-refundable application fee of $25 at the time of application. You may pay online using Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. For paper applications, you must send a check payable to N.H. Fish and Game Dept., Moose Application. If drawn for a permit, a payment of $500 must be received at the New Hampshire Fish and Game headquarters no later than July 31, 2026, or postmarked no later than midnight on July 7, 2026. Failure to submit payment by the deadline will result in disqualification of the applicant, and the permit will be offered to an alternate candidate. If you choose to decline your permit, you will not lose any accrued bonus points, and you will be able to apply again the next year with no waiting period.
Successful completion of hunter education course is required for New Hampshire hunters ages sixteen and older who have not previously held a hunting license. Youth hunters must be at least sixteen years old at the time of the application deadline to apply for moose. Each hunter drawing a moose tag may select a subpermittee of any age to join them on the moose hunt. The subpermittee is a person who can hunt with the permittee, and either individual may kill the moose. Only one moose can be killed per permit, meaning the permittee and subpermittee must remain in one another’s physical presence so that they don’t both kill a moose. A moose permit winner is allowed to change their subpermittee until eighty days prior to the start of the moose season. Permittees may not sell or barter the subpermittee portion of their permit.
While there is no legal requirement, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department recommends that any person hunting with a firearm or bow wear a hat, a vest, or other article of clothing that is hunter orange. It should be visible from all sides at a minimum of 200 feet.
Applicants must be 16 years of age by the application deadline.
Starting in 2004, New Hampshire instituted a bonus point system. Unsuccessful applicants accrue one bonus point for each consecutive year they apply for the lottery. Each point translates to a chance in the drawing; the first year you apply, you have one chance in the lottery; the second year, you have two chances; and so on. Applicants lose all accrued points if they do not apply for the lottery for one year or if they accept a moose permit. Applicants are required to provide either their driver’s license number or state ID because bonus points are tracked by that number. If your driver’s license or state ID card number has changed since you last applied, you are required to contact New Hampshire, or your points will be lost. You may apply for points only online or with a paper application for $25.
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Each year you are successful in the draw or purchase a point only, you build bonus points. The number of bonus points you have equates to the number of chances you have in the lottery. The maximum number of points possible for 2026 is 23. Non-resident draw odds in 2025 were 1 in 500, and resident draw odds were 1 in 110.
New Hampshire does not have any moose tags set aside for youth.
New Hampshire recommends moose be taken by any centerfire rifle larger than .22 caliber, a bow that has at least 50 pounds of draw weight, or a muzzleloading rifle of .45 caliber or larger. Hunters who purchase a regular hunting license may hunt with a bow or rifle. If you plan on only using archery equipment to hunt, you only need to purchase the archery hunting license. When bowhunting moose, all arrows must have the hunter’s name and address printed on them. Fixed blade broadheads must be at least 7/8 of an inch wide but may not be wider than 1 1/4 inches. Expandable broadheads must be at least 7/8 of an inch wide when expanded. There is no upper size limit on a mechanical broadhead.
The Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire will auction off moose hunting permits to applicants who submit the highest bids through a sealed written bid process. There was only one permit issued in 2021, and it brought in over $30,000. The Wildlife Foundation can receive up to five permits, but, due to the low moose population in New Hampshire, they have only received one permit each year for the last five years.
The 2026 moose permit auction package will not be available until early June. Bid forms and instructions will be available on the foundation’s website at https://nhwildlifeheritage.org. Typically, bids must be received by early August and will be opened towards the middle of August. Bid information may also be requested by contacting the foundation at admin@nhwildlifeheritage.org or by calling 603-496-2778.
New Hampshire does not offer landowner tags.
If you are successful in drawing a moose permit but do not want to go, you may refuse the permit. If you choose to refuse a permit, you will not lose any accrued bonus points, and you will be able to apply the next year.
The permittee shall tag the moose immediately upon harvest and shall remain with the moose during transportation to the check station. If the moose was shot by the subpermittee, then both the permittee and subpermittee shall go to the check station. A list of check stations can be found on New Hampshire’s website.
To view New Hampshire’s moose hunting maps, go to https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/documents/moose-hunt-unit-map.
Aside from the White Mountain National Forest, most of the land in the moose hunting zones is private. New Hampshire is an open-hunt state, and private lands may be accessed by foot.
A total of 34 moose permits were issued for the 2025 moose hunt. Of those, 32 were issued in the state lottery, 1 was issued as an auction tag, and 1 was issued through the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation Dream Hunt program. A total of 25 moose were harvested: 20 bulls and 5 cows. The overall success rate for the nine-day season in 2025 was 72%. In 2025, the largest moose was taken in B, and the antler spread of 57.5”. For 2026, it looks like New Hampshire will issue 33 state lottery tags. One permit will likely be allocated to the New Hampshire Dream Hunt program, and another will be issued to the New Hampshire Wildlife Heritage Foundation. The 2026 moose hunt dates are October 17 through 25.
New Hampshire moose continue to face their share of challenges. Increased mortality from winter ticks, brain worm disease, and habitat loss has taken their toll on the population. As was the case in 2025, there will be no permits issued in units D2, E1, E2, E3, F, G, H1, H2 North, H2 South, I1, I2, J1, J2, and K in 2026.
Generally speaking, the further north you travel in New Hampshire, the higher the moose densities. Due to the higher densities, the state can issue more tags in northern units A1, A2, B, C1, and C2. Harvest success and trophy potential remain strong in the Connecticut Lakes region (A1 and A2) and the North Region (B, C1, C2, and D1). The Connecticut Lakes region is 70%, with A1 at 57% and A2 at 74%. The north region has a higher three-year average harvest success rate of 80%, with B at 91%, C1 at 90%, C2 at 87%, and D1 at 14%.
Applying for a New Hampshire moose permit begins with ranking the state’s units, and those choices shape the kind of hunt you’ll experience. Hunters looking for the best odds should rank all units. If you are only after the best hunts, we recommend you look to units A1, A2, B, and C2. Logging in these areas by paper companies creates good moose habitat and provides those lucky enough to draw a permit with a good chance at a good bull. Hunters who thrive in more rugged, unforgiving country may want to look to A1 and C1 for a more strenuous adventure, while anyone hoping for a less physical hunt will find A2, B, and C2 better suited to that style of hunting. Moose densities in these units currently range from 0.88 to 1.69 animals per square mile. All regions in New Hampshire are currently below objective for moose, but those listed with permits for 2026 are still within the threshold for light harvest. These units can produce solid bulls, but expect to put in the miles and the days to uncover the one that meets your expectations.
With a random lottery and a $25 entry fee, the chance to chase Canadian moose without leaving the Lower 48 is an opportunity that is, if you’d like help navigating the application process or shaping your hunt plan, we’re always available. Should you draw a permit, don’t hesitate to work with an outfitter, give us a call. We work with some of the best outfitters in the state and would be happy to help you plan your moose hunting adventure.
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