Deer Hunting Regulations
Deer are New Hampshire’s most popular game animal, with a total of over 100,000 deer found throughout the state. New Hampshire has a long archery season starting September 15, a muzzleloader season 11 days prior to the firearms season, and a firearms season during the peak of the rut. (See the chart for “any deer” days, when hunters may take a doe or a buck.) Special Unit L permits allow hunters to take an additional antlerless deer in WMU L. Special Unit M permits allow hunters to take two additional antlerless deer in WMU M. For more information, visit huntnh.com/deer.
Deer Hunting Licensing Requirements
All hunters, with the exception of those eligible to use the special deer tag (see Special Deer Tag, must have a valid deer tag that has not been detached from their license/permit. Deer may be hunted using a variety of licenses and tags (for more details, see License Information and Licenses & Fees):
Archery License: allows the taking of one deer of either sex using a bow and arrow during the archery deer season. A crossbow may also be used in WMU L and M.
Regular Hunting or Combination License: allows the taking of one deer during the regular firearms deer season (Wildlife Management Unit restrictions apply).
Muzzleloader License: allows the holder of a Regular N.H. Hunting or Combination License to take a deer using a muzzleloader, crossbow, or bow and arrow during the special muzzleloading deer season, using the firearms deer tag. Nonresident youths and resident landowners must purchase this license to participate in the muzzleloader season. This license does not include a separate tag.
Special Archery Deer Permit: allows the taking of an additional antlered deer using bow and arrow during the archery season. A crossbow may also be used in WMU L or M. Each hunter is limited to one of these permits. Archery hunters may only buy this permit when purchasing their regular archery license. This permit may be used to tag the first or second deer taken by archery if it is legally antlered. All ages.
Special Unit L Permit: allows the taking of antlerless deer in WMU L, in addition to deer taken using a Regular N.H. Hunting or Archery License. It may be used on any day, including antlered deer only days, during any deer season the hunter holds a license for (archery, muzzleloader or firearm). Method of take limited to what is legal for the particular season being hunted. All ages. Note: A total of 3,000 hunters were allowed to purchase Special Antlerless Deer Permits for WMU L, with one deer tag ($26). Unit L permits are issued through an online lottery with an application period opening in the beginning of July.
Special Unit M Permit: allows the taking of antlerless deer in WMU M, in addition to deer taken using a Regular N.H. Hunting or Archery License. It may be used on any day, including antlered deer only days, during any deer season the hunter holds a license for (archery, muzzleloader or firearm). Method of take limited to what is legal for particular season being hunted. All ages. Note: A total of up to 4,000 hunters will be allowed to purchase Special Antlerless Deer Permits for WMU M; the permit comes with two deer tags ($36). Available near the end of July online and at NHFG Headquarters, first-come, first-served basis.
Long Island and Governor’s Island Deer Permits
These permits allow the taking of deer on Long and Governor’s Islands, in Lake Winnipesaukee, respectively. Written landowner permission required on forms available at the Region 2 office in New Hampton or at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord. Many special restrictions. All ages. For more information, contact the Wildlife Division at 603-271-2461.
Deer Hunting Regulations
Hunting Hours: ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
Deer must be registered online or at the closest open registration station within 24 hours. See Deer/Turkey Registration Stations for a listing of stations. Deer must be accompanied and registered by the person who took the deer. Online registration will be unavailable during the first 2 days of muzzleloader season and first 3 days of firearms season and deer must be registered at a registration station on these days. Deer may be quartered in the field but the head and hide must be packed out. A conservation officer may request to see the head and hide of any harvested deer within 48 hours of killing. It is unlawful to hunt deer with a rimfire firearm. No shotgun ammunition, other than slugs or 00 or larger buckshot, may be used to take deer. Exception: Buckshot is prohibited for taking deer in Auburn, Chester, Greenland, Newington, Portsmouth, and Stratham. It is not required to register a harvested deer before taking another.
WMU A
Both the archery and firearms deer seasons close one week earlier than the rest of the state.
Archery Season
Any deer may be taken on the regular archery deer license during the archery season. Crossbows may be used to take deer during the regular archery season in WMU L or M.
Archers and crossbow hunters must have their name and address on arrows or bolts. Fixed blade broadheads cannot be less than ⅞ inches wide and not more than 1½ inches wide. Retractable blade broadheads are permitted (cannot be less than ⅞ of an inch wide when open). Minimum draw weight for deer is 40 lbs.
Bowhunters may legally carry a sidearm, but may not use the sidearm to assist in taking a deer.
Crossbows
A crossbow means a device consisting of a rigid stock that permits only a single horizontally mounted bow with transverse limbs, a single string to be fully drawn, loaded with one bolt, maintained indefinitely in a firing position, and mechanically released. No crossbow fitted with 2 or more bows, limbs, or strings, or which permit 2 or more bolts to be released without recocking shall be permitted for the purpose of a take. A bolt means a short projectile for a crossbow that resembles an arrow.
A crossbow shall have a minimum pull of 125 pounds, a working mechanical safety and a total length no less than 25 inches. Name and address must be plainly marked on crossbow bolts. Allowable sizes of broadheads are outlined in the Archery Season section above. (See License Information for regulations)
Muzzleloader Season
To hunt deer during the muzzleloader season, a person needs a Regular N.H. Hunting License, plus a Muzzleloader License. A muzzleloader is defined as a single barrel, single shot firearm (40 caliber or greater) that requires that the projectile be loaded from the muzzle. Only one deer may be taken using a muzzleloader, crossbow, or bow and arrow with the firearm tag during the muzzleloader season. No separate muzzleloader tag is issued. In NH a muzzleloader is defined as a firearm—therefore a felon may not possess a muzzleloader.
Deer Baiting Season
See General Hunting Regulations for regulations, see Deer Hunting Seasons for the season.
Antlered/Any Deer—Definitions
- Antlered Deer: Deer with at least one antler three (3) or more inches long.
- Any Deer: All deer regardless of sex or age.
Bear Brook Refuge
Deer may be hunted in the Bear Brook Refuge with bow and arrow only by persons holding a valid Archery License.
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Deer hunting opportunity is allowed on the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Hunters must obtain a special permit through the US Fish and Wildlife Service and possess any appropriate NH hunting licenses and tags to participate. For more information, go to fws.gov/refuge/great-bay/visit-us/activities/hunting or contact the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA 01950, or call (978) 465-5753.
It Is Unlawful to:
- Hunt deer with a .22 or smaller rimfire firearm, or with shot loads smaller than 00 buckshot.
- Kill any deer with antlers less than 3 inches during the Antlered Only deer season.
- Use 100% salt products as bait for deer hunting.
- Have more than 6 people participate in a joint drive for deer.
- Hunt deer in the waters of any lake or pond
- Hunt deer on Long Island in Moultonborough or Governor's Island in Gilford, except with the appropriate special permits (see p. 20).
- Leave a deer in the woods without notifying a Conservation Officer within 12 hours as to the location and reason for not removing the deer.
- Buy, sell or offer for sale a deer or any part thereof, other than the head, hide or feet.
- Possess a deer that hasn’t been properly tagged.
- Hunt with a detached deer tag. Upon killing a deer, the tag shall be immediately detached, filled out and attached to the deer.
- Assist another in taking a deer after you have taken one, unless you possess a valid unused tag or are accompanying a youth under 16 years of age, or someone with an apprentice license.
- Hunt deer with an air rifle.
Keeping New Hampshire Deer Safe from CWD
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a wildlife disease related to BSE or “mad cow” disease and scrapie in sheep. It is fatal to deer, moose, and other cervids, such as elk. Based on the results of Fish and Game Department CWD monitoring efforts in which 8,577 deer have been tested since 2002, CWD does not currently exist in New Hampshire. Activities that artificially concentrate deer greatly increase the spread of the disease and make control much more difficult. Please do not feed deer—ever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that, "To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, some animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD- infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk. These studies raise concerns that there may also be a risk to people." We recommend the following common-sense measures to prevent possible exposure to all wildlife diseases: 1) wear rubber gloves when field dressing your game, 2) bone out the meat from your animal, 3) wash your hands, knives, etc. when done, and 4) avoid eating brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes of harvested animals.
The importation of hunter-killed carcasses of any member of the deer family (Cervidae) including white-tailed deer, black-tailed mule deer, moose or elk from CWD-positive jurisdictions is prohibited except for: de-boned meat; antlers; antlers attached to skull caps from which all soft tissue has been removed; upper canine teeth clean of all soft tissue; hides or capes with no part of the head attached; and taxidermy mounts. CWD-positive states currently include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Additionally, the following Canadian provinces are CWD-positive: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. It is possible for new CWD-positive jurisdictions to be added following publication of this digest. For the most up-to-date list, visit https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/wildlife-related-diseases/deer-diseases or call (603) 271-2461. N.H. hunters hunting deer in New York should be aware that it is illegal to transport the carcasses through Vermont or Massachusetts.
Did you know?
It is unlawful to pick up any wildlife killed by motor vehicle without authorization from local or state police or N.H. Fish and Game.
Towns with Special Rules
Deer hunting is allowed only by bow and arrow (crossbow in applicable WMU’s), shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, and lever-action carbine chambered in .357, .44 Magnum, or .45 Colt. Handguns in the following calibers can also be used: .357 Magnum, 10mm Automatic, .41 Remington, .44 Magnum, .45 Long Colt, .480 Ruger, .50 Magnum, .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), .460 Rowland, .45 Super, .50 AE (Action Express), .357 SIG Sauer, .327 Federal Magnum, and .400 Corbon, provided that a pistol used for taking deer under this section shall be loaded with no more than 6 rounds of ammunition at any time.
Belknap: Laconia; Meredith Neck: the part from the Meredith-Center Harbor line to Pleasant Street south and east of Route 25.
Hillsborough: Amherst; Bedford; Brookline; Goffstown; Hollis; Hudson; Litchfield; Manchester; Merrimack; Milford; Nashua; Pelham.
Merrimack: Concord; Hooksett: that part lying from the town line of Allenstown, on the westerly side of Route 3, to a point where the old Portsmouth Railroad crosses the highway, then south of the railroad to the town line of Candia; Pembroke: that part lying southwesterly of the following line: starting at the Concord town line at Red Bridge on Rte. 106, south to Burrough (Borough) Road, then easterly on Burrough (Borough) Road to Fourth Range Road, then southerly on Fourth Range Road to Dudley Hill Road, south on Dudley Hill Road to Buck Street, northeast on Buck Street to Route 28, south on Route 28 to the Allenstown town line. (See Bow, below.)
Rockingham: Atkinson; Auburn*; Brentwood; Chester*; Danville; Derry; East Kingston; Exeter; Fremont; Greenland*; Hampstead; Hampton; Hampton Falls; Kensington; Kingston; Londonderry; New Castle; Newfields; Newington*; Newmarket; Newton; North Hampton; Plaistow; Portsmouth*; Rye; Salem; Sandown; Seabrook; South Hampton; Stratham*; Windham.
Strafford: Durham; Madbury; Lee; Dover; Rollinsford; Somersworth.
* Buckshot prohibited for taking deer in these towns (RSA 208:3-a,b,c).
Additional Restrictions
Bow: All hunting is forbidden in the following area with any firearm other than a shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, bow and arrow, or crossbow: southeast from the Concord-Bow boundary line along the west bank of the Merrimack River, then westerly along the Bow-Hooksett boundary line, then northerly along I-93, then westerly along Robinson Road, then northwest along Branch Londonderry Turnpike East, then southerly along Woodhill Road, then southwesterly along Dunbarton Center Road to the Bow-Dunbarton boundary line, then northwesterly along the Bow-Dunbarton boundary line to the Bow-Hopkinton boundary line, then easterly along the Bow-Hopkinton boundary line to the Bow-Concord boundary line, then southeasterly and easterly along the Bow-Concord boundary line to the west bank of the Merrimack River.