New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

New Hampshire deer hunters had a record deer season according to NH Fish and Game Department Deer Project Leader Becky Fuda at 14,487 deer taken. This breaks the record of 14,204 taken nearly six decades ago in 1967 and the highest since record keeping began in 1922.

 

New Hampshire's deer population has grown significantly since that record was made in 1967 when deer population estimates were closer to about 50,000 deer compared to the current population of well over 100,00 deer in the Granite State. Shorter and milder winters the last few decades, coupled with current deer management, has witnessed a significant and steady increase in numbers of deer taken across the state with the deer kill consistently above the ten thousand deer mark since 2004 with the number broaching the fourteen thousand mark, now three times since 2018 when 14,113 deer were taken followed by 14,082 in 2022 and the new record at 14,487 set in 2025. The 2025 season also had more opportunities for NH hunters to take deer with expanded season options as Becky noted "Deer numbers are exceeding the objectives in many Wildlife Management Units with opportunity for harvesting of antlerless deer has been expanded in recent years."  

 

Becky says, "These high harvests are likely in part the results of increasingly mild winters and additionally, this year also saw excellent hunting conditions throughout much of the season, with the arrival of early snow that persisted the remainder of the season in many parts of the state." Becky noted that these are preliminary results with the season tally of actual registration forms to be entered, verified and analyzed and will be available in the annual Wildlife Harvest Summary to be available late spring. The 2025 NH Deer Season is one for the record books with 14,487 deer taken.