N.H. HUNTING REPORT — October 23, 2009

Greetings, hunters! Hope you’re having a good season afield. As of mid-week, more than half of moose hunters have been successful. New Hampshire’s deer herd came through last winter in good shape, which bodes well for the upcoming muzzleloader season, which starts October 31 (except in WMU-A where it opens November 2 ); and the firearms deer season, which launches November 11.

YOUTH DEER WEEKEND OCTOBER 24-25 — This year’s Youth Deer Hunting Weekend is upon us (October 24 and 25), providing young hunters 15 years of age or younger the opportunity to take a deer of either sex while accompanied by an adult hunter. The adult must be at least 18 years old, with a valid N.H. hunting license. The youth weekend provides youngsters a chance to learn deer hunting and other outdoor skills that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Last year, young hunters took 341 deer during their special weekend. For more info, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Youth_deer_wknd.htm.

ARCHERY DEER HUNT GOING WELL
New Hampshire’s archery deer kill through October 18, 2009, totaled 1,561, somewhat below 2008, but higher than totals experienced from 2001 to 2005. Keep in mind that these figures are preliminary reports from deer registration stations. Find more on deer hunting in New Hampshire at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm.

BULLISH BEAR SEASON
Bear biologist Andy Timmins reports that, as of October 10, a total of 582 bears (316 males, 266 females) have been taken by hunters. Bait hunters harvested 361 bears, still hunters/stalkers harvested 175, and hound hunters registered 46 bears. This year’s harvest is 47% above the 5-year in-season average of 395 bears for this time period. The current harvest is twice last year’s total for this point in the season. Regionally, 169 bears were taken in the North, 189 in the White Mountains, 165 in the Central Region, 36 in Southwest-1 and 23 in the Southwest-2 Region. No bears have been taken in the Southeast so far this year. The majority of this fall’s bear harvest occurred in September. This trend is typical of poor natural food years, when many more bears are taken over bait. The bear harvest during the rest of the season is expected to be low, due to a decrease in both bear activity and hunter effort. During years of reduced food abundance, bears tend to den earlier,
which results in a low take late in the season.

MORE ABOUT THOSE ACORNS…
Preliminary reports regarding this fall’s acorn crop are mixed. Acorn production appears to be poor in central and northern regions, while there are at least some locations in southern New Hampshire where acorn production is extremely high. Acorn production is of interest because acorns provide an important food source for deer, bear and turkeys, as well as a range of small mammals. Fish and Game assesses important “mast” species (acorns, nuts, etc.) production annually; survey results are pending.

GROUSE, WOODCOCK NUMBERS STRONG
Word from the field is that grouse and woodcock numbers are relatively strong this year in the North Country. This is a pleasant surprise, according to wildlife biologist Mark Ellingwood, as there initially was concern about the possible impact of cool June and July rains on grouse and woodcock production this year. Grouse and small game hunters have a chance at winning two quality firearms by helping Fish and Game out with survey information; find out more at http://www.huntnh.com/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q3/small_game_093009.html.

UNIT M SPECIAL DEER PERMITS STILL AVAILABLE
Fish and Game still has about 2,400 Unit M Antlerless-only Deer Permits left. The special permits are good for taking one additional anterless deer in Wildlife Management Unit M during the archery, muzzleloader or firearms season by any legal method. Permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $13 each (a limit of one per licensed hunter). They can be purchased online, at Fish and Game headquarters, or by mail. Follow the links at http://www.wildnh.com/Hunting/Special_Unit_M_permits.htm.

BOBCAT STUDY UNDERWAY
Live trapping of bobcats will be initiated by authorized researchers in southwest New Hampshire this November, as part of a comprehensive bobcat study being implemented by the University of New Hampshire in cooperation with Fish and Game. Adult bobcats will be equipped with GPS telemetry collars, and their behavior and activity will be monitored as part of the study.

CHECK OUT OUR MONTHLY PODCAST
Get the inside scoop from Fish and Game by listening to our monthly podcasts at http://blog.wildnh.com. October features Patrick Tate, Fish and Game’s furbearer biologist, talking about bobcat and lynx. Later in the show, we hear from moose biologist Kristine Rines on the moose population and the latest goings-on at moose registration stations. You’ll always get tips on places to go and upcoming events for the outdoor enthusiast.

NEW HUNTING DIGEST
We hope you’re enjoying the new NH Hunting and Trapping Digest, available online at http://pub.jfgriffin.com/doc/jfgriffin/09NHHD.
The new format provides more information at a significantly reduced cost to the Department!

HUNTER ED DONE FOR THE SEASON
Hunter Ed classes are done for 2009. If you missed your chance to take Hunter Ed this year, get a jump on next year by taking advantage of free online Hunter Education course study materials available at www.huntnh.com/Hunting/hunter_ed.htm. The 2010 Field Day schedule will be posted on the Fish and Game website early in the year, along with traditional course listings.

STAY ALERT FOR CWD:
Attention, hunters going out of state — regulations prohibit the importation into New Hampshire of hunter-killed deer, elk and moose carcasses or parts of carcasses from the 17 states and provinces where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found, except for de-boned meat, antlers, antlers attached to skull caps with all soft tissue removed, upper canine teeth with all soft tissue removed, hides or capes with no part of the head attached and finished taxidermy mounts. Annual monitoring efforts from 2002 through 2008 have not detected CWD in any New England state. Prevention of CWD in New Hampshire remains a top priority. Learn more at http://www.wildnh.com/Wildlife/CWD_QandA.htm.

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For more New Hampshire hunting information, visit http://www.huntNH.com.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats.