New Hampshire WMU D2W: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit D2W covers 367 square miles of Grafton County. Hunters took 827 deer there in 2025, down from 839 in 2024, and 549 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 508. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first five days of muzzleloader season and the first six days of firearms season. 12.4% of the unit is public land, the largest share national forest (28,176 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 Park ServiceWMU D2WNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 367 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 12.4% (29,106 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 827 (585 male, 242 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 839 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 549; ten-year average 508 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.44 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 4; firearms November 11 to 16 |
| Bears taken in bear unit D2, 2025 | 147 (78 over bait, 59 still hunting, 10 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit D2, 2025 | 240 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
How many deer are taken in WMU D2W each season?
827 deer in 2025, 12 fewer than in 2024. 25.9% came in archery season and 52.1% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 2.44 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 106 | 108 | 214 | 209 |
| Youth weekend | 21 | 24 | 45 | 69 |
| Muzzleloader | 105 | 32 | 137 | 150 |
| Firearm | 353 | 78 | 431 | 411 |
| All seasons | 585 | 242 | 827 | 839 |
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 D2W changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU D2W gave 549 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 559 in 2018 and the fewest 423 in 2016. NHFG's objective for the unit is 360 a year, and its two-year average stands at 543 (desired change -34%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 549 | +13 |
| 2024 | 536 | +45 |
| 2023 | 491 | -34 |
| 2022 | 525 | +35 |
| 2021 | 490 | +21 |
| 2020 | 469 | -73 |
| 2019 | 542 | -17 |
| 2018 | 559 | +59 |
| 2017 | 500 | +77 |
| 2016 | 423 | +28 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU D2W bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU D2W averaged 17.8 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (80 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 41.9% of the adult bucks it aged (191 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 D2W had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | D2W | 169 | 177 | 4.48 |
| Haverhill | D2W | 147 | 158 | 2.88 |
| Lisbon | D2W | 88 | 90 | 3.35 |
| Littleton | D1, D2W | 84 | 69 | 1.68 |
| Lyman | D2W | 80 | 76 | 2.81 |
| Monroe | D2W | 72 | 58 | 3.21 |
| Orford | D2W, G1 | 72 | 83 | 1.55 |
| Piermont | D2W | 58 | 66 | 1.5 |
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 D2W?
| 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 | Any deer October 31 to November 4; antlered only after |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to December 6 | Any deer November 11 to 16; 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 D2W, 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 D2W?
Bear unit D2 (White Mountains region) gave 147 bears in 2025: 78 over bait, 59 by still hunting and 10 with hounds, after 145 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 D2.
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 D2?
240 spring gobblers in 2025 (167 toms and 71 jakes), against a five-year average of 256, and 25 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; shotgun October 12 to 18.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit D2 | 252 | 284 | 268 | 209 | 240 |
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 D2W?
Not in 2026. NHFG last issued moose permits here in 2022; permits stay suspended while the region's moose density sits below its cut-off.
Sources: NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management; NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How much public land is in WMU D2W?
12.4% of WMU D2W is public land: 29,106 of its 235,168 acres. The largest share is national forest, 28,176 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 D2W |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 28,176 | 12% |
| State forest and park land | 889 | 0.4% |
| National Park Service | 35 | under 0.1% |
| Fish and Game land | 5 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 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 D2W?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU D1 | 241 | 238 | 181 | 1.1 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU D2E | 116 | 24 | 23 | 0.23 | 1 + 2 |
| WMU F | 483 | 200 | 167 | 0.44 | 2 + 2 |
| WMU G1 | 433 | 738 | 501 | 1.9 | 6 + 6 |
Highways crossing WMU D2W: NH 10 (40 miles), NH 135 (27 miles), US 302 (22 miles), NH 116 (18 miles), I-93 (15 miles) and NH 25 (15 miles). Towns inside: Haverhill, Piermont, Bath and Lyman.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU D2W in 2025?
827: 585 male and 242 female deer, 214 by archery, 137 by muzzleloader, 431 in the regular firearms season and 45 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 839.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU D2W in 2026?
Archery is any deer from September 15 to December 15. In muzzleloader season (October 31 to November 10) any deer may be taken October 31 to November 4, and in firearms season (November 11 to December 6) November 11 to 16; the rest of each season is antlered deer only (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)).
Is the WMU D2W deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU D2W the objective is 360 adult bucks a year and the current level is 543, so the plan calls for a change of -34% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 559 in 2018 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU D2W?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU D2W is in bear unit D2, White Mountains region, where hunters took 147 bears in 2025 and 145 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 D2W?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU D2, where the region's moose density is below its cut-off level (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.