New Hampshire Deer Hunting Season

New Hampshire has over 200,000 acres of state land, 750,000 acres of White Mountain National Forest and many thousands of acres of private land that is opened for deer hunting each year. There is not a shortage of areas and locations to find that perfect deer you have been waiting to harvest. By New Hampshire law all state, county, federal, municipal and private land is open for hunting unless there is a posted sign warning you against hunting in that particular area. If you are choosing to hunt on private land be sure and contact the land owner before entering the property. Tax offices can be very helpful in assisting you in finding a land owner for property in which you would like to hunt deer. With an estimated 80,000 deer to be hunted and a variety of methods for hunting these deer your hunting experience should be one to enjoy and remember.

A hunting license is required and is valid from January 1st to December 31st of the same year. When applying for a license you must show proof of having taken a approved hunter safety course and a valid Certificate of Completion. You may purchase a license online with proper identification and date of birth.

One of the largest areas in New Hampshire to hunt deer is the White Mountain National Forest. This is a popular place to hunt deer and it is also the largest area of public land in the state. The main rule for hunting in White Mountain National Forest is that you may not shoot any type of firearm within 150 yards of any campsite location. Each hunter should use caution and good judgement and be aware of their surroundings and others in the area.
Archery season for deer hunting begins September 15th and ends December 15th in WMUA. A special permit is required for bow hunting. Muzzleloader hunting is from November 3rd to November 13th and this is statewide. Opening day for regular firearms hunting is November 14th. The weekend of October 27th-28th there is a special youth weekend for hunting deer. Proper registration and certification are required for this weekend.

New Hampshire has incorporated what is known as buck age structure management into their hunting program. With up to 4,000 hunters possibly coming to hunt in the state guidelines for harvesting deer is cruicial. Allowing the young bucks to go several years to attain growth is the purpose of this management program. For a detailed description of the program look for the proposed guidelines online.

Cost for the various deer hunting licenses and permits for New Hampshire residents are (1) Regular License-$22.00, (2) Archery License- $22.00, (3) Special Archery Deer Permit- $16.00, (4) Special Unit M Deer Permit- $13-$26, (5) Deer Crossbow Permit- $5.00 and Muzzleloader License- $16.00.

For non-residents the costs are as follows. (1) Regular hunting license- $103, (2) Muzzleloader License- $43.00, (3) Archery License- $73.00, (4) Special Archery Deer Permit- $16.00, (5) Special Unit M Deer Permit- $13.00-$26.00 and (6) Deer Crossbow Permit- $5.00.

The state of New Hampshire has an abundance of beautiful land, spacious areas to hunt for deer, affordable lodging and warm, friendly people. Thinking about trying a new and exciting place to hunt? New Hampshire is waiting for you!