VERMONT — The winners of Vermont’s 2014 moose hunting permits were determined Thursday, July 17, at a lottery drawing in Montpelier. 
Gov. Peter Shumlin, standing alongside Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter, started the computer-generated selection process that randomly picked 335 winners among more than 11,600 lottery applications.
The drawing is done by a random sort of applications that were submitted by a June 17 deadline. Lottery applications cost $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.
As part of the regular lottery drawing, a “special priority drawing” was held for five permits to go to applicants who have received, or are eligible to receive, a Campaign Ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (in Afghanistan). The unsuccessful applicants from the Iraqi-Afghanistan drawing were included in the larger regular drawing that followed. All applicants for both drawings who did not receive a permit were awarded a bonus point to improve their chances in future moose permit lotteries.
The lottery was held for 50 moose permits to be used in the Vermont’s Oct. 1-7 archery moose hunting season and 285 moose permits for the Oct. 18-23 regular moose season. 
“Today’s lottery drawing helps celebrate one of Vermont’s successes in science-based wildlife management,” said State Wildlife Biologist Cedric Alexander. “Vermont’s first moose hunt was in 1993, when 25 moose were taken with 30 permits issued. We expect close to 150 moose will be taken this fall in a carefully regulated hunt.”
Lottery winners will purchase resident hunting permits for $100 and nonresident permits for $350. Ten percent of the permits go to nonresidents. Payments for the hunting permits must be by money order, bank check or credit card. Personal checks are not accepted. 
Winners in this year’s moose hunting lottery are posted in a searchable database on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Click on “Hunting and Trapping” and then on “Lottery Applications and Winners.”
Those whose names were not drawn can still bid in Vermont’s auction for five moose hunting permits, which is open until Aug. 14. Sealed bids must be received by Vermont Fish & Wildlife by 4:30 p.m. that day. Contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to receive a moose permit bid kit. Telephone 802-828-1190 or email [email protected].
Vermont law prohibits anyone who has held a Vermont moose hunting permit within any of the previous three calendar years from applying for a moose hunting permit or a bonus point in the current year.