New Hampshire WMU C1: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit C1 covers 206 square miles of Coos County. Hunters took 121 deer there in 2025, up from 83 in 2024, and 78 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 57. In 2026 the muzzleloader season is for antlered deer only, and any deer may be taken on firearms opening day, November 11. 59.4% of the unit is public land, the largest share national forest (71,275 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 landNational forestState forest and park landNational wildlife refugeWMU C1Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 206 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 59.4% (78,194 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 121 (85 male, 36 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 83 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 78; ten-year average 57 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 0.62 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader none; firearms November 11 |
| Bears taken in bear unit C1, 2025 | 41 (31 over bait, 5 still hunting, 5 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit C1, 2025 | 26 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | 4 (WMU C1: 4) |
How many deer are taken in WMU C1 each season?
121 deer in 2025, 38 more than in 2024. 38% came in archery season and 52.9% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 0.62 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 19 | 27 | 46 | 23 |
| Youth weekend | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Muzzleloader | 6 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Firearm | 58 | 6 | 64 | 43 |
| All seasons | 85 | 36 | 121 | 83 |
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 C1 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU C1 gave 78 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 78 in 2025 and the fewest 33 in 2020. NHFG's objective for the unit is 65 a year, and its two-year average stands at 72 (desired change -10%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | +13 |
| 2024 | 65 | +3 |
| 2023 | 62 | +8 |
| 2022 | 54 | -6 |
| 2021 | 60 | +27 |
| 2020 | 33 | -24 |
| 2019 | 57 | -7 |
| 2018 | 64 | +30 |
| 2017 | 34 | -27 |
| 2016 | 61 | +21 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU C1 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU C1 averaged 18.8 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (8 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 53.3% of the adult bucks it aged (15 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 C1 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | C1, D1 | 93 | 76 | 1.86 |
| Jefferson | C1, D1, E | 76 | 78 | 1.52 |
| Dummer | B, C1, C2 | 59 | 56 | 1.23 |
| Northumberland | B, C1, D1 | 47 | 32 | 1.32 |
| Milan | B, C1, C2 | 40 | 26 | 0.63 |
| Gorham | C1, C2, E | 36 | 19 | 1.13 |
| Stark | B, C1 | 23 | 23 | 0.39 |
| Berlin | C1, C2 | 22 | 11 | 0.36 |
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 C1?
| Season | Dates, 2026 | What may be taken |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | September 15 to December 15 | Any deer |
| Youth weekend | October 24 to 25 | Any deer |
| Muzzleloader | October 31 to November 10 | Antlered deer only |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to December 6 | 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 C1, with further limits in NHFG's rules.
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 C1?
Bear unit C1 (White Mountains region) gave 41 bears in 2025: 31 over bait, 5 by still hunting and 5 with hounds, after 41 in 2024. NHFG estimates 1.36 bears per square mile in the White Mountains region against a goal of 0.8, and its plan is to decrease the population. In 2026 the general season runs September 1 to November 30, baiting September 1 to October 5 and hounds September 21 to November 10. A second bear tag is valid in unit C1.
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 C1?
26 spring gobblers in 2025 (15 toms and 10 jakes), against a five-year average of 19, and 1 turkey in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit C1 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 16 | 26 |
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 C1?
Yes. NHFG issues 4 either-sex permits for 2026 in moose WMU C1, for the nine-day season of October 17 to 25. In 2025: 4 permits in WMU C1 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 C1?
59.4% of WMU C1 is public land: 78,194 of its 131,682 acres. The largest share is national forest, 71,275 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 C1 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 71,275 | 54.1% |
| State forest and park land | 6,918 | 5.3% |
| Fish and Game land | 1 | under 0.1% |
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.
Which WMUs border WMU C1?
| 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 |
| WMU D1 | 241 | 238 | 181 | 1.1 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU E | 783 | 135 | 117 | 0.2 | 1 + 2 |
Highways crossing WMU C1: NH 110 (20 miles) and US 2 (7 miles). Towns inside: Berlin, Stark, Randolph and Kilkenny.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU C1 in 2025?
121: 85 male and 36 female deer, 46 by archery, 6 by muzzleloader, 64 in the regular firearms season and 5 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 83.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU C1 in 2026?
Archery is any deer from September 15 to December 15. The 2026 muzzleloader season is antlered deer only in WMU C1; firearms season opens November 11 as an any-deer day and is antlered only from November 12 to December 6 (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)). Youth weekend, October 24 and 25, is any deer.
Is the WMU C1 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU C1 the objective is 65 adult bucks a year and the current level is 72, so the plan calls for a change of -10% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 78 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU C1?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU C1 is in bear unit C1, White Mountains region, where hunters took 41 bears in 2025 and 41 in 2024. The 2026 general bear season there runs September 1 to November 30, baiting September 1 to October 5, hounds September 21 to November 10 (NHFG Bear Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 seasons)).
Can you hunt moose in WMU C1?
Yes, by lottery permit. NHFG issues 4 either-sex moose permits for moose WMU C1 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.