STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT WILDLIFE DIVISION
19 December 2017
RE: Deer Season Update
The unofficial deer kill for New Hampshire’s 2017 season is listed below with comparisons to final kill totals for the previous 8 years. The 2017 numbers are estimates based on the number of deer reported as being registered (not necessarily killed) in each county and may not represent complete data from all registration stations. Data for the previous years are final kill figures for each county and hence the estimated registration distribution for 2017 may not be directly comparable to the previous year’s final kill totals. This is particularly evident in the south-central portion of the state where many deer killed in surrounding counties are registered in Hillsborough County.
The estimated 2017 statewide harvest of 12,269 is an increase of 15% from the 2016 final kill of 10,675 and is 13% above the 20 year average of 10,934. Based on this estimate the 2017 total represents the 2nd highest kill in the last 9 years and is the 5th highest kill in the state’s history, going back to 1922.
A summary of the actual kill by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) compared to previous years will be sent out as soon as registration information is received and data entry is complete. All registration slips should be received within the next week and verified against registration seals issued and returned. Data entry, verification and preliminary analysis should be complete by early January when a final summary of this year’s hunt will be available. Thanks to all those who helped make these deer season updates possible and Happy Holidays to all
DEER KILL BY COUNTY
COUNTY | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* |
Belknap | 582 | 527 | 741 | 795 | 894 | 618 | 743 | 605 | 885 |
Carroll | 438 | 485 | 565 | 531 | 647 | 585 | 526 | 624 | 685 |
Cheshire | 1015 | 981 | 978 | 965 | 1068 | 1048 | 940 | 852 | 1100 |
Coos | 781 | 804 | 676 | 777 | 965 | 970 | 652 | 784 | 766 |
Grafton | 1768 | 1368 | 1580 | 1779 | 1933 | 1667 | 1809 | 1746 | 1785 |
Hillsborough | 1406 | 1435 | 1609 | 1652 | 1679 | 1610 | 1410 | 1406 | 2369 |
Merrimack | 1202 | 1041 | 1245 | 1316 | 1417 | 1130 | 1210 | 1162 | 1077 |
Rockingham | 1722 | 1732 | 2086 | 2138 | 2124 | 2118 | 1975 | 1920 | 2169 |
Strafford | 637 | 648 | 835 | 875 | 969 | 922 | 915 | 900 | 673 |
Sullivan | 833 | 738 | 794 | 784 | 844 | 728 | 715 | 676 | 760 |
Total | 10,384 | 9,759 | 11,109 | 11,612 | 12,540 | 11,396 | 10,895 | 10,675 | 12,269 |