New Hampshire WMU D1: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit D1 covers 241 square miles of Coos and Grafton counties. Hunters took 238 deer there in 2025, up from 200 in 2024, and 181 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 148. In 2026 the muzzleloader season is for antlered deer only, and any deer may be taken on firearms opening day, November 11. 9.1% of the unit is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (6,331 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 D1Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 241 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 9.1% (14,056 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 238 (187 male, 51 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 200 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 181; ten-year average 148 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 1.1 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader none; firearms November 11 |
| Bears taken in bear unit D1, 2025 | 68 (51 over bait, 15 still hunting, 2 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit D1, 2025 | 100 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | 1 (WMU D1: 1) |
| Wildlife management areas | Twin Mountain Fish Hatchery, Robert W. Durant Natural Area |
How many deer are taken in WMU D1 each season?
238 deer in 2025, 38 more than in 2024. 22.3% came in archery season and 58% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 1.1 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 25 | 28 | 53 | 45 |
| Youth weekend | 7 | 13 | 20 | 27 |
| Muzzleloader | 27 | 0 | 27 | 33 |
| Firearm | 128 | 10 | 138 | 95 |
| All seasons | 187 | 51 | 238 | 200 |
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 D1 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU D1 gave 181 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 181 in 2025 and the fewest 103 in 2020. NHFG's objective for the unit is 170 a year, and its two-year average stands at 159 (desired change 7%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 181 | +44 |
| 2024 | 137 | -26 |
| 2023 | 163 | -3 |
| 2022 | 166 | +21 |
| 2021 | 145 | +42 |
| 2020 | 103 | -53 |
| 2019 | 156 | -4 |
| 2018 | 160 | +19 |
| 2017 | 141 | +13 |
| 2016 | 128 | +6 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU D1 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU D1 averaged 16.5 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (6 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 25% of the adult bucks it aged (24 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 D1 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | C1, D1 | 93 | 76 | 1.86 |
| Littleton | D1, D2W | 84 | 69 | 1.68 |
| Jefferson | C1, D1, E | 76 | 78 | 1.52 |
| Northumberland | B, C1, D1 | 47 | 32 | 1.32 |
| Bethlehem | D1, D2W, E | 38 | 38 | 0.42 |
| Whitefield | D1 | 31 | 23 | 0.91 |
| Sugar Hill | D1, D2W | 28 | 24 | 1.64 |
| Dalton | D1 | 26 | 22 | 0.95 |
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 D1?
| 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 D1, 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 D1?
Bear unit D1 (North region) gave 68 bears in 2025: 51 over bait, 15 by still hunting and 2 with hounds, after 84 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 D1?
100 spring gobblers in 2025 (63 toms and 35 jakes), against a five-year average of 85, 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 D1 | 80 | 82 | 90 | 90 | 100 |
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 D1?
Yes. NHFG issues 1 either-sex permit for 2026 in moose WMU D1, for the nine-day season of October 17 to 25. In 2025: 1 permit in WMU D1 took 0 moose.
Sources: NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management; NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How much public land is in WMU D1?
9.1% of WMU D1 is public land: 14,056 of its 154,361 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 6,331 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 D1 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 6,331 | 4.1% |
| National forest | 4,350 | 2.8% |
| State forest and park land | 3,330 | 2.2% |
| Fish and Game land | 45 | 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.
Wildlife management areas in WMU D1
| Area | Acres in WMU D1 | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Mountain Fish Hatchery | 30 | Carroll |
| Robert W. Durant Natural Area | 10 | Jefferson |
Which WMUs border WMU D1?
| 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 C1 | 206 | 121 | 78 | 0.62 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU D2E | 116 | 24 | 23 | 0.23 | 1 + 2 |
| WMU D2W | 367 | 827 | 549 | 2.44 | 5 + 6 |
| WMU E | 783 | 135 | 117 | 0.2 | 1 + 2 |
Highways crossing WMU D1: NH 116 (23 miles), US 3 (21 miles), NH 135 (21 miles), NH 142 (20 miles), I-93 (19 miles) and US 302 (14 miles). Towns inside: Bethlehem, Jefferson, Lancaster and Littleton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU D1 in 2025?
238: 187 male and 51 female deer, 53 by archery, 27 by muzzleloader, 138 in the regular firearms season and 20 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 200.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU D1 in 2026?
Archery is any deer from September 15 to December 15. The 2026 muzzleloader season is antlered deer only in WMU D1; 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 D1 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU D1 the objective is 170 adult bucks a year and the current level is 159, so the plan calls for a change of 7% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 181 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU D1?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU D1 is in bear unit D1, North region, where hunters took 68 bears in 2025 and 84 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 D1?
Yes, by lottery permit. NHFG issues 1 either-sex moose permit for moose WMU D1 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.