Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024
(a) For purposes of
this section the state shall be divided into wildlife management units as
described in Fis 301.02.
(b) Wild deer shall be taken only from 1/2
hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset during the open seasons for taking
deer.
(c) No deer shall be taken at
any time in the following locations:
(1)
Governor's Island, Town of Gilford, except as specified in
Fis
301.031(c);
(2) Long Island, Town of Moulton borough,
except as specified in
Fis
301.032; and
(3) Any waters in lakes or ponds.
(d) A person holding an archery
license as described in
RSA
208:5, II, may take deer
with bow and arrow in all of the wildlife management units and Bear Brook
Refuge, subject to the following:
(1) The open
season for taking of any deer with bow and arrow in wildlife management units B
through M shall be from September 15 to December 15;
(2) The open season for taking any deer with
bow and arrow in wildlife management unit A shall be September 15 to December
8;
(3) No deer shall be taken with
a crossbow under this license, provided that:
a. A licensee of any age with a permanent
physical disability who holds a permit issued pursuant to
RSA
207:10-c and
Fis
1101.08, shall be allowed to take deer with a crossbow
during the archery season, muzzleloader season, or the regular firearms season,
and shall use the archery deer tag or regular firearm deer tag as
appropriate;
b. A licensee who is
68 years of age or older shall be allowed to take deer with a crossbow during
the archery season, muzzleloader season, and regular firearms season, and shall
use the archery deer tag or regular firearm deer tag as appropriate;
or
c. A licensee of any age shall
be allowed to take deer with a crossbow during the muzzleloader or regular
firearms season, and shall use the regular firearm deer tag;
d. An archery licensee of any age shall be
allowed to take deer with a crossbow during the archery season in WMU L or WMU
M;
e. A person under 16 years of
age who is participating in the deer youth weekend in accordance with
Fis
1204.02 shall be allowed to take deer with a crossbow;
or
f. An archery licensee of any
age holding a Long Island deer permit shall be allowed to take deer with a
crossbow on Long Island, Town of Moultonborough, under the provisions of
Fis
301.032.
(e) A person holding a muzzleloader license
may take deer with a muzzleloading firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow during
the 11 days immediately prior to the regular firearms season as follows:
(1) No other firearm shall be used for the
taking of deer during this license period;
(2) A muzzleloading firearm shall be a single
barrel, single shot firearm of no less than .40 caliber;
(3) Wildlife management units A, B, C1, C2,
D1, D2E shall be open only to the taking of antlered deer;
(4) Wildlife management units E, F, G2, and
I2 shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first day of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 10 days;
(5) Wildlife management unit I1 shall be open
to the taking of any deer during the first 2 days of the season and to the
taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 9 days;
(6) Wildlife management units H1, J1, and K
shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 3 days of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 8 days;
(7) Wildlife management units D2W, H2, and J2
shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 4 days of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 7 days;
(8) Wildlife management unit G1 shall be open
to the taking of any deer during the first 5 days of the season and to the
taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 6 days; and
(9) Wildlife management units L and M shall
be open to the taking of any deer during all 11 days of the season.
(f) The season for taking deer by
all legal methods shall begin on the second Wednesday in November, and be open
for a period of 26 consecutive days in wildlife management units B through M,
and 19 consecutive days in wildlife management unit A, upon the following
conditions:
(1) Wildlife management units A,
B, C1, and C2 shall be open only to the taking of antlered deer;
(2) Wildlife management units D1, D2E, E, and
F shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first day of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 25 days;
(3) Wildlife management units G2, I1, and I2
shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 2 days of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 24 days;
(4) Wildlife management unit J1 shall be open
to the taking of any deer during the first 3 days of the season and to the
taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 23 days;
(5) Wildlife management units H1, H2, J2, and
K shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 4 days of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 22 days;
(6) Wildlife management units D2W and G1
shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 5 days of the season
and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 21 days;
and
(7) Wildlife management units L
and M shall be open to the taking of any deer during the first 10 days of the
season and to the taking of antlered deer only during the remaining 16
days.
(g) No person
shall take more than one deer in a calendar year, except as provided in
RSA
208:5,
RSA
208:5-b,
Fis
301.03(d),
Fis
301.031,
Fis
301.032, and
Fis
301.034.
(h) No shell shot, other than those using
shot sizes of 00 buckshot or larger, shall be used for the taking of
deer.
(i) The hunter taking the
deer shall register and report the kill as follows:
(1) Immediately upon killing a deer, the
hunter shall complete and attach the appropriate "Deer Tag" to the deer,
containing the following information:
a. The
hunter's name and address;
b. The
date and time of kill;
c. The
wildlife management unit in which the kill occurred; and
d. The licensee's signature;
(2) Any deer taken during any deer
season shall be registered within 24 hours of taking, in accordance with one of
the following methods:
a. Completion of a deer
registration report at a department approved registration station, in
accordance with Fis 301.04; or
b. Completion of all required fields in an
online registration report using the link available at
www.wildlife.state.nh.com, provided that deer taken during the first 2 days of
muzzleloader season, as specified in paragraph (e) above, or the first 3 days
of regular firearms season, as specified in paragraph (f) above, must be
registered in-person at a department approved registration station;
(3) Each hunter shall maintain
proof of completion of the registration process, whether hard copy or
electronic confirmation, for a minimum of 180 days; and
(4) The hunter shall retain the head and hide
for 48 hours from the time of registration.
(j) If requested by the department, any
person taking a deer shall take fish and game personnel back to the kill site,
the site of carcass evisceration, or both, for purposes such as, but not
limited to, verification of kill site or to obtain ovaries or other biological
samples left behind.
(k) If
requested by the department, any person taking a deer shall allow fish and game
personnel or their designated agents at biological check stations to collect
biological information on their deer including but not limited to sex, antler
beam diameter, number of antler points, weight, estimated age, and lactation
status.
(l) Nothing in this section
shall prohibit a licensed hunter who has used his or her archery or firearm
deer tag from accompanying a licensed apprentice hunter or an unlicensed minor
under the age of 16, while the apprentice hunter or minor is taking
deer.
(m) No person shall take a
deer with the aid and use of bait, except in accordance with
RSA
207:3-d,
Fis
307.01, and
Fis
307.03.
#1578, eff 5-12-80; ss by #1758, eff 5-29-81; ss by #2119,
eff 8-12-82; ss by #2392, eff 6-22-83; ss by #2832, eff 8-21-84; ss by #3140,
eff 10-25-85; amd by #4094, eff 7-22-86; ss by #4295, eff 7-21-87; ss by #4436,
eff 6-20-88; ss by #4649, eff 7-24-89; amd by #4686, eff 10-24-89; ss by #4855,
eff 7-3-90; ss by #5197, eff 8-2-91; ss by #5410, eff6-19-92; amd by #5659, eff
6-28-93; ss by #5706, eff9-21-93; ss by #5827, eff 5-24-94; amd by #5898, eff
9-20-94; amd by #6037, eff 5-17-95; ss by #6250, eff 5-22-96 (See Revision Note
at part heading for Fis 301); ss by #6520, eff 5-31-97; ss by #6783, eff
6-30-98; ss by #7289, eff 6-1-00; ss by #7533, eff 7-24-01; ss by #7699, eff
6-5-02; ss by #7921, eff 7-24-03; ss by #8085, eff 5-26-04; ss by #8644, eff
6-1-06; ss by #8931, eff 7-6-07; ss by #9163, eff 5-28-08; amd by #9458, eff
4-21-09; amd by #9720-A, eff 6-5-10, (para (a)-(j), & (l) and (m)); amd by
#9720-B, eff 6-5-10,(para (k)); ss by #10142, eff 6-5-12; ss by #10142, eff
6-5-12
