Welcome to 2022-23 New Hampshire Hunting
Your Hunting Adventure Awaits
From the Seacoast to the White Mountains to the Great North Woods, there are exceptional hunting opportunities across New Hampshire. Whatever your game of choice there is something for everyone. Whether in the woods or on the water, in the fall or in the spring, heading out on a beautiful day is an experience few will forget. This year, consider bringing a new or young hunter along with you and share the tradition.
Speaking of the future, we will begin building the capacity here at Fish and Game for online deer registration, much like online turkey registration. We don't know when it will be up and running yet, but stay tuned for more updates.
Hunters cannot take access to land for granted. Take the time to get to know the owners of the land you hunt on and thank them. If you want to hang a camera, ask. If you want to hang a tree stand, ask. Carry in and carry out. Don’t block private roads or bar ways. New Hampshire hunters are blessed with an abundance of access to private land so we need to be good stewards of this privilege.
Bear and deer harvests have been strong in recent years, and the 2019 spring turkey harvest set a record, with the 2021 spring harvest right behind it. The 2021 deer season resulted in the highest adult buck harvest on record going back to 1922. Check out the Wildlife Harvest Summary to learn more at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/harvest-summary.html.
We are continuing to monitor for Chronic Wasting Disease. Fortunately New Hampshire remains free of this disease, which is devastating to deer. Please help keep CWD from entering the state by not using natural urine-based deer lures. These have the potential to spread the infection. If you harvest a deer in a state that has CWD, you must be sure to follow New Hampshire’s carcass restrictions, available at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/cwd/index.html.
Unfortunately, in 2022 we saw a return of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A H5N1 across the country and in New Hampshire. It mainly affects wild birds such as ducks, geese, turkey, eagles, swans, and gulls, and we have seen mortality among these species here in the Granite State. There is also a risk to domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, quail, and ducks. We will, along with the NH Department of Agriculture, continue to keep an eye on this virus as we did during the 2015 outbreak.
Here at Fish and Game, we work hard to manage species and their habitat for health and appropriate population numbers for the landscape. Important tools in our conservation arsenal are hunting and trapping, and we are grateful to all the sports enthusiasts who help us collect much needed data. Thanks for hunting in New Hampshire and be safe.
Scott R. Mason
Executive Director
N.H. Fish and Game Department
N.H. Fish and Game — Our Mission
As the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife, and marine resources, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to:
- Conserve, manage, and protect these resources and their habitats;
- Inform and educate the public about these resources; and
- Provide the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources.
The N.H. Fish and Game Department receives Federal Assistance from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and thus prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and sex, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or service, please contact or write the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Division of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration, 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop: WSFR – 4020, Arlington, Virginia 22203, Attention: Civil Rights Coordinator for Public Programs.
