New Hampshire WMU C2: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit C2 covers 257 square miles of Coos County. Hunters took 160 deer there in 2025, up from 117 in 2024, and 117 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 84. In 2026 the muzzleloader season is for antlered deer only, and any deer may be taken on firearms opening day, November 11. 20.5% of the unit is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (18,547 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 refugeNational Park ServiceWMU C2Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 257 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 20.5% (33,694 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 160 (126 male, 34 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 117 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 117; ten-year average 84 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 0.69 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader none; firearms November 11 |
| Bears taken in bear unit C2, 2025 | 32 (19 over bait, 8 still hunting, 5 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit C2, 2025 | 45 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | 5 (WMU C2: 5) |
| Wildlife management areas | Glover Farm, Horne Brook, Bofinger Conservation Area |
How many deer are taken in WMU C2 each season?
160 deer in 2025, 43 more than in 2024. 27.5% came in archery season and 55.6% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 0.69 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 21 | 23 | 44 | 28 |
| Youth weekend | 7 | 4 | 11 | 5 |
| Muzzleloader | 16 | 0 | 16 | 13 |
| Firearm | 82 | 7 | 89 | 71 |
| All seasons | 126 | 34 | 160 | 117 |
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 C2 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU C2 gave 117 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 117 in 2025 and the fewest 48 in 2020. NHFG's objective for the unit is 90 a year, and its two-year average stands at 106 (desired change -15%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | +23 |
| 2024 | 94 | -6 |
| 2023 | 100 | +14 |
| 2022 | 86 | +14 |
| 2021 | 72 | +24 |
| 2020 | 48 | -21 |
| 2019 | 69 | -33 |
| 2018 | 102 | +35 |
| 2017 | 67 | -18 |
| 2016 | 85 | +36 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU C2 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU C2 averaged 17.5 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (18 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 56.2% of the adult bucks it aged (32 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 C2 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dummer | B, C1, C2 | 59 | 56 | 1.23 |
| Errol | A, B, C2 | 52 | 36 | 0.86 |
| Milan | B, C1, C2 | 40 | 26 | 0.63 |
| Gorham | C1, C2, E | 36 | 19 | 1.13 |
| Shelburne | C2, E | 26 | 19 | 0.54 |
| Berlin | C1, C2 | 22 | 11 | 0.36 |
| Cambridge | B, C2 | 16 | 14 | 0.31 |
| Success | C2 | 9 | 9 | 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 C2?
| 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 C2, 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 C2?
Bear unit C2 (North region) gave 32 bears in 2025: 19 over bait, 8 by still hunting and 5 with hounds, after 34 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 C2?
45 spring gobblers in 2025 (28 toms and 17 jakes), against a five-year average of 32, and 5 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit C2 | 25 | 34 | 27 | 38 | 45 |
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 C2?
Yes. NHFG issues 5 either-sex permits for 2026 in moose WMU C2, for the nine-day season of October 17 to 25. In 2025: 5 permits in WMU C2 took 5 moose.
Sources: NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management; NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How much public land is in WMU C2?
20.5% of WMU C2 is public land: 33,694 of its 164,760 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 18,547 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 C2 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 18,547 | 11.3% |
| National forest | 6,884 | 4.2% |
| State forest and park land | 5,605 | 3.4% |
| National Park Service | 1,499 | 0.9% |
| Fish and Game land | 1,159 | 0.7% |
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 C2
| Area | Acres in WMU C2 | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Glover Farm | 817 | Dummer |
| Horne Brook | 275 | Berlin, Success |
| Bofinger Conservation Area | 59 | Dummer |
Which WMUs border WMU C2?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU A | 585 | 508 | 396 | 0.91 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU B | 346 | 161 | 125 | 0.49 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU C1 | 206 | 121 | 78 | 0.62 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU E | 783 | 135 | 117 | 0.2 | 1 + 2 |
Highways crossing WMU C2: NH 16 (27 miles), NH 26 (9 miles), NH 110B (5 miles), US 2 (4 miles) and NH 110A (3 miles). Towns inside: Milan, Errol, Success and Cambridge.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU C2 in 2025?
160: 126 male and 34 female deer, 44 by archery, 16 by muzzleloader, 89 in the regular firearms season and 11 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 117.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU C2 in 2026?
Archery is any deer from September 15 to December 15. The 2026 muzzleloader season is antlered deer only in WMU C2; 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 C2 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU C2 the objective is 90 adult bucks a year and the current level is 106, so the plan calls for a change of -15% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 117 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU C2?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU C2 is in bear unit C2, North region, where hunters took 32 bears in 2025 and 34 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 C2?
Yes, by lottery permit. NHFG issues 5 either-sex moose permits for moose WMU C2 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.