CONCORD, N.H. -- The adventure of a lifetime is in store for 124 people who have been offered permits to hunt moose in New Hampshire this October. They are the lucky winners in the state's 27th annual moose hunt lottery drawing, held today at New Hampshire Fish and Game Department headquarters in Concord, N.H.

Longtime Fish and Game Wildlife Division staffer Rita Boisvert, just a week away from retirement, was given the honor of pushing the button to start the computerized random selection. Then the traditional reading of the winners' names began, with an enthusiastic audience in attendance, gathered at Fish and Game to enjoy a doughnut, swap stories and listen hopefully for their name to be called as a participant in this year's hunt.

The winners were selected from a pool of more than 10,400 applicants. In addition, over 1,400 people submitted an application for a bonus point only, but are not included in the lottery. The bonus point system improves the chance of winning for each consecutive year you enter and are not selected.

The names of the 2014 winners and alternates are posted on Fish and Game's website at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Moose_hunt/2014_Moose_Winners.html.

Winners will be offered permits to hunt moose in a specific Wildlife Management Unit during the October 18-26, 2014, season. Each permit winner is assigned to one of 22 wildlife management units (WMUs) in which he or she can legally hunt. Winners are allowed to enlist a guide and one friend or relative to help on the hunt as a "subpermittee." In addition to many New Hampshire residents, winners hailed from Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, as well as many from New Hampshire.

The happiest person in the room was most likely Kevin Lefebrve of New Boston, who has entered the lottery since it began in 1988. Today he was pulled for a permit in Wildlife Management Unit A-2 in northern New Hampshire. Lefebrve had been selected once before (in 2004) for a permit in another part of the state, but never saw a moose. He still had a great time, but this year he expects to bring home a moose. "I'm excited," said Lefebrve, with a big smile. "Two years ago my buddy got picked for A-1 and got a moose - that's right next door, so to speak, so it should be good."

Others in the packed room put their dreams away for another year, including Patrick Graham of Manchester and his young grand-nephew Wyatt Lemireux of Holderness, who sported matching hand-lettered "It's our birthday - A moose tag would be sweet!" T-shirts.

Last year (2013), New Hampshire hunters took 180 moose, for a statewide success rate of 64%. Regional success for moose hunters last year ranged from 87% in the North Region to 25% in the southeastern part of the state.

Hunters whose names were selected in today's drawing will be notified by mail. Lists of successful applicants and alternates are available at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Moose_hunt/2014_Moose_Winners.html; at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord; and at the Department's regional offices in Durham, Keene, Lancaster and New Hampton.

Official limited-edition 2014 New Hampshire moose hunt shirts are available to the public and may be ordered online at http://www.wildnh.com/mooseshirt.

For more information on hunting moose in New Hampshire, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

A description of the lottery process and table of applicants and odds may be downloaded at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Moose_hunt/moose_lottery_stats.pdf.

New Hampshire has had an annual moose hunt since 1988, when 75 permits were issued for a three-day hunt in the North Country. This opportunity has been made possible by careful management of moose populations. An ongoing research project being conducted by Fish and Game in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire, will provide additional information to aid in moose management efforts (learn more at http://wildnh.com/Newsroom/2014/Q1/moose_study_update.html).

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats.

CONTACT:
Linda Verville: (603) 271-2461
Kristine Rines: (603) 744-5470
Jane Vachon: (603) 271-3211