CONCORD, NH – New Hampshire’s hunting seasons kick off on September 1 with the opening of black bear and gray squirrel seasons. Archery seasons for turkey and white-tailed deer get underway September 15. The statewide resident Canada goose hunt runs September 1-25, 2016.
Highlights of New Hampshire’s hunting seasons can be found in the newly published 2016-17 New Hampshire Hunting and Trapping Digest, which includes New Hampshire hunting season dates, bag limits, check station locations and more. Hunters and trappers can also pick up a free copy from Fish and Game or their local license agent when they buy their license.
Looking ahead, the much-anticipated regular firearms deer hunting season opens on November 9. Both the archery and regular firearms seasons for deer continue to end one week early in WMU A. Check the 2016-17 Hunting Digest for Wildlife Management Unit (WMU)-specific either-sex deer hunting regulations.
Following is a general overview of New Hampshire’s fall hunting seasons (please be sure to consult the Digest or visit the Fish and Game website at www.huntnh.com for additional information):
2016 New Hampshire Hunting Seasons
- WHITE-TAILED DEER:
- Archery: September 15-December 15 (ends December 8 in WMU A)
- Youth Deer Weekend: October 22-23, 2016
- Muzzleloader: October 29-November 8, 2016
- Firearms: November 9-December 4, 2016 (ends November 27 in WMU A)
- BLACK BEAR: Starts September 1 (end varies by WMU)
- GRAY SQUIRREL: September 1-December 31
- SNOWSHOE HARE: October 1-March 31 (bag limit varies by WMU)
- RUFFED GROUSE: October 1-December 31
- MOOSE: October 15-23 (by permit only)
- FALL TURKEY:
- Shotgun turkey: October 10-16 (certain WMUs)
- Archery turkey: September 15-December 15 (closed in WMU A)
A notable change this year is that the fall turkey shotgun season has been extended from 5 to 7 days (October 10-16, 2016) by adding a weekend at the end of the season. See a summary of other changes here for 2016. More details are provided in the Hunting Digest.
If you need a Hunter Education class, don’t delay! Register online today.
Apprentice hunting licenses are an option for people age 16 and older who want to try hunting, but have not taken Hunter Education. It allows hunting under the guidance of a licensed hunter age 18 or older. The option remains popular. In 2015, a total of 597 individuals (413 men and 184 women) took advantage of the apprentice license program in New Hampshire, hunting everything from deer to migratory waterfowl. Apprentice licenses are available only at Fish and Game headquarters. Learn more here.
As the fall hunting seasons begin, Fish and Game urges hunters not to use natural urine-based deer lures. These products can potentially spread Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurological disorder that is always fatal to white-tailed deer and moose. Synthetic lures are suggested. Do your part and help our deer herd. Learn more here.
N.H. hunting licenses and permits can be purchased online anytime at www.nhfishandgame.com.
So get out and enjoy New Hampshire’s big woods, with more than a million acres of public land open to hunting. Find more information about hunting in New Hampshire at www.huntnh.com/hunting.
