As Moose Hunting Season Opens, Biologist Provides Health Of Population
As New Hampshire’s nine-day moose hunting season opens on Saturday, the state’s moose biologist provided an update on the population, which is still struggling with winter tick infestations.
About two decades ago, impacts from the tick, which tend to proliferate more during warmer autumns and shorter winters and attach themselves to moose in the fall and throughout winter, began to be seen.
They can attach to moose in the tens of thousands, kill young moose that lack the strength to withstand blood loss, and reduce reproduction rates in cow moose.
“The population in northern New Hampshire, the core population, has been stable,” Henry Jones, the state’s moose biologist, said Tuesday. “Elsewhere, it has been declining, so overall the statewide population has declined a bit. This past winter, 2025 and winter and spring of 2026, moose had high winter tick infestations on them, and that was not good for 10- or 11-month-old moose survival and likely led to low reproduction by adult females this spring. But with all that said, where there is good moose habitat, the population has been stable.”
The best habitat is largely north of the White Mountains.
At the state’s peak in the late 1990s, New Hampshire’s estimated population was nearly 8,000.
“We’re about 3,000 is what our estimate is,” said Jones. “It could be a little more.”
South of the White Mountains, moose habitat is more peripheral.
And now it’s time for your Moo92 sports…
2 goals from Josh Anderson were not enough as the Montreal Canadians dropped their Wednesday night matchup against the Washington Capitals by a score of 5-4. Next up the Habs will welcome the Buffalo Sabres back on Saturday night. Puck drops at 7pm.
And in local sports…
The North Country girls soccer team beat Stowe on Wednesday by a score of 2-0 improving to 11-2 on the season. The Lake Region Lady Ranger soccer team lost to Lamoille on Wednesday by a score of 5-0.
The North Country Varsity Football team will take on U-32 tonight for their homecoming game. Kick off at 6:30pm.