Island deer are now open season September 29, 2023 New Hampshire, The Laconia Daily Sun

...  the department was mandated to change by the state Legislature, and that the change to allow hunting on islands was in response to growing populations... "There were times, 20 years ago or so, when she would see six or eight deer in a herd together on the island, she said. Lately the groups have been only one or two..." [Muriel Robinette, an environmental consultant]

New Hampshire’s 2023 Moose Hunt Is October 21-29 September 27, 2023 New Hampshire Fish and Game

... he state’s first modern-day moose hunt took place in 1988, with 75 permits issued in the North Country. At that time, New Hampshire was home to about 1,600 moose. Today, New Hampshire has about 3,300 moose...

Law tweak makes it easier to sell deer, elk meat in New Hampshire August 2, 2023 Concord Monitor

... Gov. Sununu has signed HB119, which removes a state law that required U.S. Department of Agriculture certification for plants that process meat from red deer and elk...The only USDA-certified slaughterhouse and processing plant in New Hampshire is Lemay and Sons in Goffstown. ...

Granite Geek: Slash walls can keep deer from damaging young forests June 12, 2023 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... “Slash” is the forestry term for the parts of trees that aren’t worth the expense of removing after a timber harvest: limbs, tree tops, small trees that got in the way...  the idea of slash walls is to pile up this material to build walls that keep out the deer while the forest regenerates...

Chronic Wasting Disease,  It's not tech or medical magic that has kept a nasty deer disease out of New Hampshire May 8, 2023 Concord Monitor

... New Hampshire and many other states have stopped the old practice of moving deer around.  Deer, elk and other cervids are kept in game preserves around the country for hunters who want to lessen the uncertainty of finding a target. These parks, where disease can more easily spread, often sell animals to each other and if the animal is infected but not showing symptoms then, bingo!, you’ve got a new location for CWD...

2022 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary Now Available May 4, 2023 New Hampshire Fish and Game

... New Hampshire’s 2022 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 14,082. The adult (antlered) buck harvest of 8,339 was the largest documented in the state since recordkeeping began in 1922. Archers took 4,498 deer, the youth weekend accounted for 387 deer harvested, and muzzleloader and regular firearm hunters took 2,133 and 7,064 deer, respectively...

Update on Chronic Wasting Disease in New Hampshire May 3, 2023 New Hampshire Fish and Game

... Hampshire’s white-tailed deer population has once again demonstrated no evidence of chronic wasting disease (CWD), based on monitoring data gathered during the 2022 hunting season... biologists collected 385 samples from hunter-killed deer ... Since the monitoring program began in 2002, 7,787 deer have been tested...

Hound hunting is a time-honored tradition in NH. But not everyone likes it. March 25, 2023 New Hampshire, NHPR

... a centuries-old practice that’s facing increased opposition today...In Sandwich ... a nearly three-year campaign distributing signs throughout town for people to post on their properties, telling hunters and dogs they’re not welcome to hunt bears there... more than 300 signs have gone out ...

New Hampshire Wildlife Rule Proposal Hearings Set  March 9, 2023 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

... New Hampshire’s regional deer, bear, and turkey populations are stable or increasing. Thus, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department proposes additional hunting opportunities in various regions of the state... The complete rulemaking notice is available on the NH Fish and Game Department website’s Proposed Rules ...

The 2023 New Hampshire Moose Hunt Lottery Is Open January 27, 2023 New Hampshire Game and Fish News

... The state’s current moose population is estimated to be about 3,000 animals. The availability of moose hunting permits is made possible by careful monitoring of moose populations..., 

2022 Moose Hunt Highlights October 27, 2022 New Hampshire Fish and Game

... New Hampshire’s 2022 moose hunting season closed this past Sunday with hunters harvesting a total of 27 moose, 23 bulls and 4 cows, according to Henry Jones, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Moose Project Leader.  Hunters achieved a 63% success rate during the nine-day season. Forty-three people received permits to take part in the hunt ...

New Hampshire Moose Hunt Is October 15–23, 2022 September 29, 2022 NH Fish and Game news

... A total of 40 permit holders were drawn in this year’s lottery, randomly selected by computer from a pool of more than 6,000 applicants... in 1988, with 75 permits issued in the North Country. At that time, New Hampshire was home to about 1,600 moose. Today, New Hampshire has about 3,300 moose..,

First Case of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Detected in a White-Tailed Deer in New Hampshire September 26, 2022 New Hampshire Fish and Game News

... A white-tailed deer that was found dead in Merrimack County has tested positive for epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). This case is the first time the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has documented the presence of EHD in the state. It has previously been documented in deer in nearby states including Vermont, New York, and Connecticut..,

Help Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in New Hampshire September 22, 2022 New Hamphire, NH Fish and Game Department

... In 2018, a red deer from a captive facility in Quebec tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). This remains the closest confirmed case of CWD to the New Hampshire border... New Hampshire hunters who make trips to CWD-positive jurisdictions ... are required to closely follow the mandatory regulations on bringing home any cervid carcasses ...

State to study moose numbers using drones June 6, 2022 The Nashua Telegraph

... The state’s moose population will be observed by drones and 140 cameras in the woods in the next few years to help determine their population numbers and better understand their health ...

Firefighters use Jaws of Life to rescue deer trapped in fence April 1, 2022 New Hampshire, UPI.com

... The Professional Firefighters of Merrimack said in a Facebook post that crews responded Thursday to a report of a deer stuck between the bars of a fence at a local cemetery...

Forest Journal: It's hunting season -- share the woods November 14, 2021 Union Leader

... According to Jim Oehler, Fish & Game habitat program supervisor, Fish & Game now owns more than 60,000 acres in over 100 Wildlife Management Areas — properties focused on wildlife and habitat conservation and wildlife-based recreation — and holds an additional 25,000 acres in conservation easements...

Deer Hunters Are Out In Force November 11, 2021 New Hampshire, The Keene Sentinel

... The state’s deer herd is an estimated 100,000 animals and there are almost 50,000 licensed hunters in New Hampshire... Last year hunters tagged 13,044 deer ...  the fourth highest deer kill since the state began keeping records in 1922..,

New versions of old-time weapons fill the woods as hunting picks up October 30, 2021 New Hampshire,   Concord Monitor

... Since a peak in the late 1960s, the number of people getting a license to hunt in New Hampshire has fallen by more than 40%, from roughly 99,000 to 55,000....

‘Deer harvest’ a heartless euphemism  October 4, 2021 New Hampshire, Daily Hampshire Gazette

... Amazing how fast this euphemism for killing and hunting, “harvest,” seemed to have gone from being spin into the general lexicon... The Merriam Webster dictionary defined harvesting as the process of gathering in a crop... People have hunted out of necessity from our beginnings. However, I am opposed to the term “harvest” with its utter irreverence for conscious life ...

New Hampshire drivers urged to watch for deer, moose ahead of mating season  September 21, 2021 WMUR9

... mating season “will substantially increase the moose (and) deer activity along the roadways.” ... 

2020 Testing Shows No Evidence of Chronic Wasting Disease in New Hampshire June 10, 2021, New Hampshire, NH Fish and Game Department

... New Hampshire’s monitoring program is part of a nationwide effort to stop the spread of CWD. Since the monitoring program began in 2002, some 7,402 deer have been tested in New Hampshire...

The buck stops where? UNH research records longest-ever deer distance June 8, 2021 New Hampshire, Seacoastonline.com

... Researchers have discovered the longest distance ever recorded by an adult male white-tailed deer—300 kilometers, or close to 200 miles, in just over three weeks. The finding has important implications for population management and the transmission of disease, especially chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease...

The pandemic sent 10% more New Hampshire hunters into the woods March 25, 2021 Concord Monitor

... New Hampshire sold 49,742 hunting licenses to state residents in 2020 compared to 45,664 in 2019..,

2020 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary Now Available March 25, 2021 EIN News

... New Hampshire’s 2020 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 13,044 deer. This year’s adult (antlered) buck harvest of 7,986 deer was the second largest one documented in the state since recordkeeping began in 1922...

New Hampshire Wildlife Rules Proposals for 2021-2022 Now Available on Fish and Game Webpage March 3, 2021 EIN News

... The proposals also call for reductions in either-sex days in three northern units (A, B, and C2) to allow populations to recover following recent declines... complete rulemaking notice as well as an individual analysis of each managed game species ...

New Hampshire Fish and Game rescue deer off frozen pond January 11, 2021 

WCAX

... The rescuer put a rope around the deer’s neck and pulled it out onto the ice and then onto the shore...

Help Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in New Hampshire September 24, 2020 EIN News

... In 2018, a red deer from a captive facility in Quebec tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD)... New Hampshire hunters who make trips to CWD-positive jurisdictions (listed below) are required to closely follow the mandatory regulations on bringing home any cervid carcasses...

Moose Hunt in New Hampshire Starts Soon September 24, 2020 New Hampshire, wokq.com

... in 1988 the moose population of New Hampshire was about 1,600 and has grown to nearly 3,300 now, according to Fish and Game... Last year’s hunt took in 38 moose ..,

New Hampshire 2019 Deer Harvest March, 2020 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

... New Hampshire’s 2019 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 12,306, resulting in the 7th highest harvest in the state’s history going back to 1922. This was a decrease of 13% from 14,113 in 2018. The adult buck (antlered males

age 1.5+ years) kill decreased 2% from 8,029 in 2018 to 7,870 in 2019. However, this still represents the 2nd highest adult buck harvest the state has seen going back to 1922. The antlerless harvest (does and fawns) decreased 27% from 6,084 in 2018 to 4,436 in 2019 [see page 5] ..,

Fewer deer, bears killed in New Hampshire in 2019 December 21, 2019 Houston Chronicle

... The unofficial 2019 deer kill was 12,144, said Eric Orff ...That's a 14 percent decrease from the 2018 total ...

Country Ecology: Northern red oak October 11, 2019 New Hampshire, Conway Daily Sun

... Early colonists noted savannah-like appearances in this ancient forest ... Indians thus commonly had used fire as a landscape managing tool, releasing nutrients back to the soil and keeping any understory down for the wild animals’ benefit... their own unique style of wildlife management to help the wild turkey and deer populations expand in those times...

Drivers beware: It’s moose mating season October 1, 2019 New Hampshire, Fosters.com

...New Hampshire used to have a lot of moose ... In the mid-1800s there were only 15 moose in the state. Because of the small number and loss of habitat, it was a slow rebound, according to Fish and Game.  “The moose herd didn’t begin to rebound noticeably until the early 1970s ..,

New Castle, Deer counters: New Castle kill not supported September 23, 2019 New Hampshire, Seacoastonline.com

... A team of volunteers counted deer at dawn and dusk across the town Saturday, and the numbers don’t match what hunting advocates cite as a reason for a culling the population ... 

New Castle, Deer kill dispute leads to deer count debate in New Castle September 16, 2019 New Hampshire, Seacoastonline.com

... Bill Henson on Monday called the deer-population estimates in Gayer’s memo “gross exaggerations.” He said he and others believe there are “a dozen or so” deer in New Castle and to prove the point, volunteers will conduct a count this Saturday. He said volunteers will be at 17 different locations where they will count deer from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m., then again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m...

     New Castle residents: Keep pressure on to stop deer kill September 2, 2019 New Hampshire, Seacoastonline.com

... We have set up a website that anyone can access with information on how to contact the members of the WBTS board, access to all media to date, links to Facebook posts, and the online petition... The web address is SaveTheNewCastleDeer.com...

     Neighborhood board in New Castle rejects plan to allow deer hunters on private land August 30, 2019 New Hampshire, WMUR9

... One neighborhood board voted down a proposal to allow bow hunters access to private property ...

     Kill deer to save plants? New Castle residents fight plan August 29, 2019 New Hampshire, Seacoastonline.com

... a proposal for licensed bow-and-arrow hunters to harvest up to 20 deer, has brought push-back from residents, 1,000 signatures on a petition in opposition ... It’s a deer-kill, not a hunt... the reason he was given is because the deer are eating garden plants ...

     Deer kill planned for New Castle Island August 23, 2019 New Hampshire, Foster's Daily Democrat

...  plan includes giving four professional archers five permits each which means they would be free to kill 20 of the 24 estimated deer... claims of an exploding population are unfounded exaggerations. In fact, our observations are that it may very well be at one of the lowest levels in years...

For NH moose, winter tick can be a deadly mismatch July 22, 2019 New Hamsphire, The Keene Sentinel

...New Hampshire’s moose population peaked in the late 1990s when an estimated 7,500 Alces alces called the state home. It is now estimated that fewer than 3,500 ... a study from 2001 to 2006 resulted in “conclusive” and “damning” evidence that winter ticks were the main cause of moose mortality ..,

New Hampshire 2018 Deer Harvest June 8, 2019 New Hampshire, Lowell Sun

... New Hampshire's 2018 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 14,113 deer. The adult (antlered) buck kill of 8,029 deer was the largest number documented in the state since record keeping began in 1922..,  

 Deer rescued from frozen Derry pond, then euthanized March 19, 2019 New Hampshire, New Hampshire Union Leader

...  Firefighters and police rescued a deer from a frozen pond Tuesday morning, only to euthanize it after determining it had suffered a mortal wound overnight...

Limits on hunting of coyotes in NH gets the thumbs down from committee February 6, 2019 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... Cathryn Harvey, D-Spofford, chair of the House Fish and Game Committee, pointed that lawmakers used to set hunting seasons in New Hampshire until 1989, and the result “was a disaster,” with deer populations plummeting and some animals, such as wild turkeys, wiped out of the state by poorly planned hunting...

Hanover,  Extra deer hunting permits lead to additional deer harvested January 11, 2019 New Hampshire, The Dartmouth

... Town manager Julia Griffin said she hopes the program will be able to continue for up to a decade. If approved for next year, she said the town will look at ways to expand the size of the special management area and make the permit process easier for interested hunters...

NH Hunting Report - January 2, 2019 New Hampshire, NHFG News

... The unofficial deer harvest for New Hampshire’s 2018 hunting season was 14,057. This take was up 14% from the 2017 final harvest of 12,309 and is 26% above the 20-year average of 11,150...

Deer herd has healthy numbers across New England December 26, 2018 New Hampshire, Gloucester Daily Times

...The estimated 2018 statewide harvest of 14,057 is an increase of 14% from the 2017 final kill of 12,309 and is 26% above the 20-year average of 11,150... the 2018 total represents the highest take in the last nine years ... Data by County

Amid weather extremes, no dearth of deer this hunting season December 7, 2018 New Hampshire, The Keene Sentinel

.... a mild winter with a late frost, the hottest summer in nearly 150 years brought a July drought ... A higher-than-average deer population — thanks to those mild winters that kill off fewer deer — began to struggle to find food in normal places ... making it easier for hunters ...

Deer hunting season may end up setting NH record November 28, 2018 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... New Hampshire Fish and Game said that as of Sunday, hunters reported killing 11,648 deer, a 5 percent increase over last year at this point and the highest in nine years...

Bartlett Police makes friends with young buck November 16, 2018 New Hampshire, Conway Daily Sun

...   ... the deer ... had a brief contact with a vehicle ... which left him stunned and disoriented ... In a typical year, an estimated 1,200 deer/vehicle collisions occur in New Hampshire...

NH Great North Woods always a treasure, but moose void is unsettling November 12, 2018 New Hampshire, The Keene Sentinel

... N.H. Fish and Wildlife estimates that the population in the state peaked at about 7,500 in the mid-1990s. It is now estimated that there are fewer than 4,000... devastated by winter ticks in the northern part of the state and brainworm in the south ..,

Winter Ticks Killing Moose At Alarming Rate October 17, 2018 New Hampshire, Eurasia Review

... In the study, published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, researchers outline the screening of 179 radio-marked moose calves ... A high infestation of winter ticks was found on each calf (an average of 47,371 per moose) causing emaciation and severe metabolic imbalance from blood loss, which was the primary cause of death..,

2018 NH moose permit auction now open July 10, 2018 New Hampshire, Conway Daily Sun

... The Foundation is authorized to auction only one permit this year, in line with statewide moose population goals... Last year, the auction garnered bids from three states, with a winning bid from Massachusetts of $20,999.99..,

Deer season kills reveal no chronic wasting disease issues June 12, 2018 New Hampshire, The Lebanon Voice

... In 2017, a total of 444 tissue samples from hunter-killed deer were tested ... Since the monitoring program began in 2002, some 6,261 deer have been tested ...

Deer variant of mad cow disease has not shown up in New Hampshire June 6, 2018 Concord Monitor

... For 16 years, New Hampshire has been testing tissue samples ... for signs of chronic wasting disease ... In 2017, 444 tissue samples were tested by a federal lab, and all proved negative...

Leave fawns and other young wildlife alone May 31, 2018 New Hampshire, The Laconia Daily Sun

... Adult deer can be detected easily by predators due to their scent and large size. Because of this, does will spend long periods of time away from their fawns to disassociate their scent from the fawn and keep them safe from predators. For the first month of life, the doe will only visit the fawn a few times a day ...

Hunting season indicates the state's deer population is healthy, growing in numbers April 25, 2018 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... the number of bucks killed: 7,708 ... more than at any time since records started being kept in 1922 ... many males are surviving into their second year ...  In central New Hampshire in the area around Concord, Laconia and Plymouth the estimated population is between 5 and 14 percent higher than the long-term goal... North of the White Mountains, however, the estimated population is as much as 50 percent less ..,

Record number of antlered bucks taken April 23, 2018 New Hampshire, NewHampshire.com...

... hunters killed 7,708 antlered bucks in 2017 — more than in any year since 1922, when the state first started keeping records... total kill during deer season was 12,309 ...

Moose population stabilized last year in NH as bear, turkey rising March 3, 2018 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... Last year, hunters killed 37 moose – 25 bulls and 12 cows – compared to more than 300 that were killed each year from 1994 through 2010...

Moose And Loons Are Climate Change 'Canaries In Coal Mine,' Say Conservationists February 22, 2018 New Hampshire, WBUR

... shorter winters are hastening the spread of ticks, which attach to moose in tens of thousands and can kill large numbers of each year’s calves. Moose are also dying from brain worms ...

Should the east be home to cougars again? Febuary 2, 2018 New Hampshire, Conway Daily Sun

... The last cougar in New Hampshire was shot dead in 1857 down on the seacoast. A small population of East Coast cougars are in Florida and are unaffected by the change in the federal designation... the eastern cougar likely disappeared forever at least 70 years ago..,

2017 NH Hunting Report: Deer harvest up, bear harvest down December 26, 2017 New Hampshire, Manchester Ink 

... The unofficial deer harvest for New Hampshire’s 2017 hunting season was 12,269. This take was up 15 percent from the 2016 final harvest of 10,675 and is 13 percent above the 20-year average ..,

North Country woman takes issue with request to stop posting photos of her feeding deer December 19, 2017 New Hampshire, The Union Leader

... A new law adopted last year prohibits leaving food outside for wild deer if Fish and Game officials determine it would hurt the animals. But no determination has been made in Pittsburg...

Successful Season So Far for New Hampshire Deer Hunters November 29, 2017 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

... The estimated statewide harvest as of November 26 was 11,135, a 12% increase over the 2016 kill at this point in the season and the second highest in the last nine years...

Antlerless deer permits go on sale in NH July 10, 2017 New Hampshire, NH1 News

... Due to the high demand for the limited number of Unit L permits, be aware that even if you start applying right at 6:00 p.m., you may not get a permit...

Officials urge caution after fatal car accident with deer in Concord June 17, 2017 New Hampshire, The Union Leader

...  this time of year, after does give birth, they kick their yearlings out. So those youngsters are likely to be wandering... Dan Bergeron is the deer project leader ...  estimates that New Hampshire's current deer population is around 100,000.  That's a big rebound since the population crashed in the 1980s ..,

Climate Change Is Killing New England's Moose May 29, 2017 New Hampshire, InsideClimate News

... "Moose numbers will decline because of this. There's absolutely no question about it," ... In some northern counties, ticks killed about 75 percent of calves in the winters of 2013-14 through 2015-16, when snows came unusually late... moose population has dwindled to about 3,500, from 7,500 in the mid 1990s..,

Leave the newborns alone May 19, 2017 New Hampshire, NewHampshire.com

... Adult deer can be detected easily by predators due to their scent and large size. Because of this, does will spend long periods of time away from their fawns ... If you see a fawn or any other young wildlife and suspect it has been abandoned ...Contact Fish and Game Dispatch at (603) 271-3361 ...

DFW weighs expanded antlerless deer permits May 17, 2017 New Hampshire,    

The Manchester Journal

... "We are recommending an increase in muzzleloader season antlerless deer permits this year to account for the increase in the deer population following another mild winter in 2017, ... The proposal follows two mild winters, which experts predict will result in an approximate 7 percent increase in Vermont's deer population..,

2016 Testing Shows No Evidence of CWD in NH May 2, 2017 New Hampshire, NHFG News

... In 2016, a total of 268 tissue samples from hunter-killed deer were tested by Fish and Game ... Since the monitoring program began in 2002, some 5,817 deer have been tested in New Hampshire...

2016 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary Available April 24, 2017 Outdoor News Daily

...  a total harvest of 10,675 deer, a decrease of 1% from 2015... a deer population in good physical condition and below the biological carrying capacity of our deer habitat ... [full report]

  Officer, resident rescue NH deer stuck in barbed wire fence after being hit by car March 1, 2017 New Hampshire, NH1 News

... Spicer checked on the deer and determined that it was healthy and did not need to be euthanized. He said it looked as if the deer was happy to be with them...

Fall 2016 was a good one for deer January 22, 2017 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

...  The fall of 2016 was a great season for deer because of the great hard and soft mast crops that were available, especially acorns. Fat reserves were in great shape heading into winter... the Winter Severity Index (WSI) ... So far ...  good ...

New Hampshire Hunting Season Results December 21, 2016 Outdoor News Daily

... unofficial deer kill for New Hampshire’s 2016 hunting season was 10,702, down slightly (2%) from the 2015 final kill of 10,895...  similar to the 20-year average of 10,912. Deer hunting seasons are now closed in the state...

Dick Pinney's Guide Lines: The modern deer hunt is accurately called a deer shoot November 26, 2016 New Hampshire, NewHampshire.com

... If you've ever watched a TV show with so-called hunters sitting in an elevated and heated shack overlooking a food plot that was created to attract deer, you've been cheated and pre-programmed to think that is a "deer hunt!"... That is a deer shoot! ...

Fish & Game's new pup should be a natural at tracking down poachers November 26, 2016 New Hampshire, NewHampshire.com

... Training a Fish and Game dog is a year-long, full-time endeavor, Benvenuti said. Cora comes to work with him every day; he trains with her on tracking and finding game and evidence...

Watch for deer on the roadways November 18, 2016 New Hampshire, Cabinet.com

... In a typical year, an estimated 1,200 deer/vehicle collisions occur in New Hampshire...

As deer hunting starts, we still don't have CWD November 8, 2016 New Hampshire, Granite Geek - Concord Monitor

... Vermont, for example, forbids hunters from crossing that state carrying deer carcasses from New York state, which has had CWD in the past. (New Hampshire doesn’t forbid it, but cautions against it.)...

New Hampshire's firearms season for deer begins Wednesday November 7, 2016 WMUR Manchester

... The 2013 and 2014 harvests were the second and sixth highest harvests, respectively, in the last 40 years.  The 2015 harvest of 10,895 was down slightly ...

New Hampshire's firearms season for deer begins Wednesday November 7, 2016 WMUR

... About 60,000 hunters ... Total deer kill numbers have been up the past several years from a recent low of 9,759 in 2010... likely to be great season for New Hampshire deer hunters given the past mild winter...

Deer are hard to find as hunting season ramps up, but not because there are few of them November 5, 2016 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

...  through Oct. 30, a total of 3,154 deer had been killed by bows and muzzle-loaders, which is 19 percent fewer than at the same time last year ... Acorns are an issue for hunters because of their abundance this year, which means deer don’t have to leave the shelter of trees to find food...

     Number of deers killed by archers down 15 percent from last year October 20, 2016 New Hampshire, WMUR Manchester

...  a total of 1,690 deer have been killed ...

A Word with NH's Moose Biologist October 14, 2016 New Hampshire, New Hampshire Public Radio

... ticks are a well reported problem for moose in the northern parts of the state, but as Rines points out brainworm is a problem in the south. “Both parasites are brought by white-tailed deer,” brainworms have no observable effect on deer, but are lethal to moose...

Annual moose hunt about to start in New Hampshire October 10, 2016 New Hampshire, The Daily Progress

... A total of 71 permit holders were drawn in this year's lottery from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants for the hunt ... In 1988 ... about 1,600 moose. Today, the state has about 4,000 moose ...

State wildlife officials report latest hunting figures October 8, 2016 New Hampshire, Nashua Telegraph

... the harvest during archery season stood at 851, which was down 23 percent at the time of the report compared to numbers recorded at the same time last year...

NH anti-poaching head named president of international organization September 25, 2015 New Hampshire, NewHampshire.com

... Although convicted poachers must pay restitution — $250 for a deer and significantly more for a moose — Saunders said the money doesn’t compensate for the fact that their crime means it may take two or more years for an animal to grow to replace the one that was killed illegally...

Poached deer found shot with antlers cut off in woods in Londonderry September 23, 2016 New Hampshire, NH1 News

... in the woods off of West Road in Londonderry on August 26... contact the OGT hotline at 1(800) 344-4262 ...

When People Ate People, A Strange Disease Emerged September 6, 2016 New Hampshire, New Hampshire Public Radio

... "Chronic wasting disease in North America is spreading fast," says Belay. The disease causes infected wild deer and elk to starve to death. "In early 2000, we had about three states that reported CWD in the wild in deer and elk. Today, that number is 21." ...

New Hampshire wildlife victimized by drought September 4, 2016 WMUR Manchester

... the drought could cause some wildlife to relocate if their source of water dries up. And that's exactly what has happened at the farm in Rochester as deer used to use the stream but have since moved on...

Deer, bear, turkey populations healthy in New Hampshire, judging from hunting results August 31, 2016 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor

... New Hampshire’s 2015 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 10,895 deer, a decrease of 4% from 2014 ... Average yearling antler beam diameter and weight were both above the recent 5-year average of 17.8 millimeters and 115 pounds respectively...

Rules change for hunters in Granite State August 1, 2016 New Hampshire, WMUR Manchester

... number of either-sex days during the muzzleloader and regular firearm seasons has changed ... 

Moose study yields grim results June 16, 2016 New Hampshire, The Union Leader

...  of the 45 moose cows and calves collared in 2014, there was a 64 percent mortality for moose calves and five percent mortality for adult cow moose ... Assuming things stay the same, the state’s overall moose population — estimated to be around 4,000 — will decrease ...

New Hampshire data:   The estimated 100,000 deer in 2021 comes after a record deer kill in 2020.  The state owned more than 60,000 acres in over 100 Wildlife Management areas and over 25,000 acres in conservation easements in 2021.  In 2020, license sales were up 10 percent but the deer kill was up only six percent suggesting a stable to lower population.  The 2019 pre-hunt population was estimated at above 120,000 by New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife.  An estimated 100,000 deer in 2017 pre-hunt after two mild winters. North of the White Mountains the estimated population was about half of the state's goal in 2017-18 and 5 to 14 percent above goal around Concord and Plymouth. 

An estimated 85,000 deer in 2015 and about the same in 2016 based on hunting data.  A mild 2015-16 winter, but the 2016 drought reduced fawn survival, but a good fall mast crop.   An estimated 100,000 deer pre-hunt in 2014, an increase from the state estimate of 87,000 deer in the herd pre-hunt in 2013. The deer harvest fell by about 9 percent in 2014 and by about 4 percent in 2015. 

About 85,000 - 90,000 deer in the state in 2013 to 2011, pre-hunt. The 2014 food supply was about average with the population having recovered in some parts of the state from the recent low following the severe winters of 2007-08 with mild winters in 2010-11 to 2013-14. In 2014 about 40 percent of the deer taken were antlerless (does and fawns).  In 2013 and 2014 roughly 1/3 of the deer taken were does and 2/3 were bucks.  About 60,000 deer hunting licenses sold in 2013, down from a peak of 97,000 in 1988.

The goal of the wildlife agency is to increase the deer herd, except in southeastern New Hampshire where deer population control efforts are underway to reduce deer vehicle collisions and browsing on agriculture and ornamental plants.  The hunt is taking about 11 to 14 percent of the herd each year.  Stable population, significantly higher than in the 1980s.  The herd is still recovering from some severe winters beginning in 2007-08, the mild winters of 2010-12 reduced fawn mortality.  Management was trying to improve the age structure of the northern deer herd, reducing the kill of young deer.  A population estimate of 90,000 deer in 2009.

The herd population took a big drop in the 1980's.  The population has been on a general upward trend following that die off. Bucks were about 65 percent of the harvest in 2013.  About 1,300 deer are killed by cars every year in the state. Whitetails were virtually wiped out from unregulated hunting in the 1800's and early 1900's.  Peak of the rut is about November 15 to 20.  Deer are near the northern boundary of their range so a harsh winter can starve many deer.

History:  In 1923 there were an estimated 1,000 deer in and the state was planning to buy 100 deer to expand the herd.

Chronic Wasting Disease Testing began in 2002 with no positives after the 2022 season from 385 samples for the year and and 7,787 tested in total.  As of 2021.

Moose population estimated at 3,000 in early 2023 up from 1,600 in 1988.  Nearly 3,800 in 2020, less than 3,500 in 2019, less than 4,000 in 2018, 3,500 in 2017, 4,000 2015 and 2016, down from about 4,500 in 2014 and 7,600 in 1996.  By the mid-1800s there were fewer than 15 moose in the state.  Moose hunting was banned in 1901.  Logging created habitat that helped the herd recover.  The herd began a major rebound in the 1970s.  1,600 animals in the state in 1988.  The population peaked in the 1990s at about 7,500.  About 4,000 in 2015.  In 1988, about 1,600 moose, in 2022 about 3,300.

About 5,700 black bears in 2015.   

Bobcats estimated at 1,400 in 2016, up from about 150 in 1985.

Cougar (Mountain Lion).   The last cougar in New Hampshire was shot near the coast in 1857.

The graphs below shows the historic reported deer harvest for New Hampshire from NHFG.

The two year moving average of the buck harvest is often used to estimate deer populations because the doe harvest is changed more often to control population growth.  Source of graph.  NH Fish and Game Department

Moose Density.  Source  NH Fish and Game Department.