New Hampshire WMU A: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit A covers 585 square miles of Coos County. Hunters took 508 deer there in 2025, up from 398 in 2024, and 396 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 273. In 2026 the muzzleloader season is for antlered deer only, and any deer may be taken on firearms opening day, November 11. 9% of the unit is public land, the largest share Fish and Game land (27,033 acres).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary. Seasons: NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates). Land: GRANIT and PAD-US.
Fish and Game landState forest and park landNational wildlife refugeWMU ANeighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 585 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 9% (33,826 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 508 (411 male, 97 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 398 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 396; ten-year average 273 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 0.91 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader none; firearms November 11 |
| Bears taken in bear unit A, 2025 | 39 (38 over bait, 1 still hunting) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit A, 2025 | 72 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | 10 (WMU A1: 3 and WMU A2: 7) |
| Wildlife management areas | Connecticut Lakes Nature Preserve, Connecticut Lakes North (West), Connecticut Lakes South Bay Bog, Greenough Ponds |
How many deer are taken in WMU A each season?
508 deer in 2025, 110 more than in 2024. 20.1% came in archery season and 63.6% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 0.91 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 46 | 56 | 102 | 83 |
| Youth weekend | 9 | 9 | 18 | 19 |
| Muzzleloader | 64 | 1 | 65 | 45 |
| Firearm | 292 | 31 | 323 | 251 |
| All seasons | 411 | 97 | 508 | 398 |
Sources: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary; NHFG 2024 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary. Each season's WMU columns add up to the report's statewide total.
How has the adult buck kill in WMU A changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU A gave 396 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 396 in 2025 and the fewest 146 in 2020. NHFG's objective for the unit is 300 a year, and its two-year average stands at 366 (desired change -18%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 396 | +60 |
| 2024 | 336 | +55 |
| 2023 | 281 | -3 |
| 2022 | 284 | +72 |
| 2021 | 212 | +66 |
| 2020 | 146 | -68 |
| 2019 | 214 | -125 |
| 2018 | 339 | +86 |
| 2017 | 253 | -18 |
| 2016 | 271 | +77 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU A bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU A averaged 18.5 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (53 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 41.4% of the adult bucks it aged (128 bucks), so the rest were two and a half or older.
Source: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary, adult buck kill by WMU, yearling antler beam diameter and yearling male fraction tables.
Which towns in WMU A had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg | A | 294 | 207 | 1.04 |
| Stewartstown | A | 65 | 60 | 1.41 |
| Clarksville | A | 59 | 42 | 0.98 |
| Colebrook | A, B | 53 | 55 | 1.31 |
| Errol | A, B, C2 | 52 | 36 | 0.86 |
| Second Coll Grant | A | 12 | 6 | 0.29 |
| Dixville | A, B | 7 | 14 | 0.14 |
| Millsfield | A, B | 7 | 7 | 0.16 |
Source: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary, deer kill by town. A town's figure counts all of it, including any part in another WMU.
When are the 2026 deer seasons in WMU A?
| Season | Dates, 2026 | What may be taken |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 15 to December 8 | Any deer |
| Youth weekend | October 24 to 25 | Any deer |
| Muzzleloader | October 31 to November 10 | Antlered deer only |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to November 29 | Any deer November 11; antlered only after |
An antlered deer in New Hampshire has at least one antler 3 inches long. Baiting deer is allowed October 21 to November 18 in WMU A, with further limits in NHFG's rules. WMU A's archery and firearms seasons close a week before the rest of the state.
Sources: NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates); NHFG Dates and Seasons; antlered deer defined in NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How many bears are taken around WMU A?
Bear unit A (North region) gave 39 bears in 2025: 38 over bait, 1 by still hunting and 0 with hounds, after 51 in 2024. NHFG estimates 0.9 bears per square mile in the North region against a goal of 0.6, and its plan is to decrease the population. In 2026 the general season runs September 1 to November 10, baiting September 1 to 28 and hounds September 21 to November 10.
Sources: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary; NHFG 2024 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary; NHFG Bear Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 seasons).
How many turkeys are taken in turkey unit A?
72 spring gobblers in 2025 (51 toms and 21 jakes), against a five-year average of 67, and 4 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 8; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit A | 49 | 67 | 76 | 86 | 72 |
Sources: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary, spring turkey harvest by WMU 2016 to 2025; NHFG Dates and Seasons.
Is there a moose season in WMU A?
Yes. NHFG issues 10 either-sex permits for 2026 in moose WMU A1 and moose WMU A2, for the nine-day season of October 17 to 25. In 2025: 3 permits in WMU A1 took 1 moose and 7 permits in WMU A2 took 4 moose.
Sources: NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management; NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How much public land is in WMU A?
9% of WMU A is public land: 33,826 of its 374,176 acres. The largest share is Fish and Game land, 27,033 acres. NHFG notes that not all conservation land is open to hunting and asks hunters to seek landowner permission where they can.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU A |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Game land | 27,033 | 7.2% |
| State forest and park land | 3,457 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuge | 3,336 | 0.9% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the WMU line from NH Conservation and Public Lands (GRANIT, via NHFG) for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
Wildlife management areas in WMU A
| Area | Acres in WMU A | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Lakes Nature Preserve | 14,989 | Pittsburg |
| Connecticut Lakes North (West) | 4,966 | Pittsburg |
| Connecticut Lakes South Bay Bog | 3,962 | Clarksville, Pittsburg |
| Greenough Ponds | 1,210 | Wentworths Location |
| Connecticut Lakes North (East) | 1,084 | Pittsburg |
| Brown | 808 | Pittsburg |
| Gray | 203 | Pittsburg |
| Connecticut River Drivers | 62 | Colebrook |
Which WMUs border WMU A?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU B | 346 | 161 | 125 | 0.49 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU C2 | 257 | 160 | 117 | 0.69 | 0 + 1 |
Highways crossing WMU A: NH 145 (13 miles), NH 26 (5 miles) and NH 16 (4 miles). Towns inside: Pittsburg, Clarksville, Dixville and Stewartstown.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU A in 2025?
508: 411 male and 97 female deer, 102 by archery, 65 by muzzleloader, 323 in the regular firearms season and 18 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 398.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU A in 2026?
Archery is any deer from September 15 to December 8. The 2026 muzzleloader season is antlered deer only in WMU A; firearms season opens November 11 as an any-deer day and is antlered only from November 12 to November 29 (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)). Youth weekend, October 24 and 25, is any deer.
Is the WMU A deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU A the objective is 300 adult bucks a year and the current level is 366, so the plan calls for a change of -18% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 396 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU A?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU A is in bear unit A, North region, where hunters took 39 bears in 2025 and 51 in 2024. The 2026 general bear season there runs September 1 to November 10, baiting September 1 to 28, hounds September 21 to November 10 (NHFG Bear Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 seasons)).
Can you hunt moose in WMU A?
Yes, by lottery permit. NHFG issues 10 either-sex moose permits for moose WMU A1 and moose WMU A2 in 2026, and the season runs October 17 to 25 (NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary; NHFG 2024 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
- Seasons: NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates); NHFG Bear Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 seasons); NHFG Dates and Seasons; NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management.
- WMU boundary: NHFG Wildlife Management Units. Public land: NH Conservation and Public Lands (GRANIT, via NHFG) for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions).
FilledTag is not part of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Numbers are copied from NHFG, GRANIT and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.