New Hampshire WMU E: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit E covers 783 square miles of Carroll, Coos and Grafton counties. Hunters took 135 deer there in 2025, up from 125 in 2024, and 117 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 99. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first day of muzzleloader season and the first two days of firearms season. 82.6% of the unit is public land, the largest share national forest (404,790 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 ENeighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 783 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 82.6% (413,969 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 135 (120 male, 15 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 125 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 117; ten-year average 99 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 0.2 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31; firearms November 11 to 12 |
| Bears taken in bear unit E, 2025 | 81 (61 over bait, 11 still hunting, 9 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit E, 2025 | 39 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
How many deer are taken in WMU E each season?
135 deer in 2025, 10 more than in 2024. 18.5% came in archery season and 65.9% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 0.2 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 21 | 4 | 25 | 26 |
| Youth weekend | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Muzzleloader | 15 | 2 | 17 | 15 |
| Firearm | 83 | 6 | 89 | 83 |
| All seasons | 120 | 15 | 135 | 125 |
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 E changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU E gave 117 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 119 in 2018 and the fewest 65 in 2019. NHFG's objective for the unit is 80 a year, and its two-year average stands at 112 (desired change -29%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | +11 |
| 2024 | 106 | +9 |
| 2023 | 97 | -14 |
| 2022 | 111 | +11 |
| 2021 | 100 | +7 |
| 2020 | 93 | +28 |
| 2019 | 65 | -54 |
| 2018 | 119 | +21 |
| 2017 | 98 | +19 |
| 2016 | 79 | +7 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU E bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU E averaged 18.3 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (9 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 31% of the adult bucks it aged (29 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 E had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | C1, D1, E | 76 | 78 | 1.52 |
| Conway | E, F, J1 | 67 | 65 | 0.96 |
| Bethlehem | D1, D2W, E | 38 | 38 | 0.42 |
| Gorham | C1, C2, E | 36 | 19 | 1.13 |
| Shelburne | C2, E | 26 | 19 | 0.54 |
| Carroll | D1, E | 19 | 13 | 0.38 |
| Chatham | E | 18 | 14 | 0.32 |
| Bartlett | E | 16 | 21 | 0.22 |
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 E?
| 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; antlered only after |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to December 6 | Any deer November 11 to 12; 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 E, 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 E?
Bear unit E (White Mountains region) gave 81 bears in 2025: 61 over bait, 11 by still hunting and 9 with hounds, after 58 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 E.
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 E?
39 spring gobblers in 2025 (28 toms and 10 jakes), against a five-year average of 39, and 0 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit E | 42 | 39 | 34 | 46 | 39 |
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 E?
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 E?
82.6% of WMU E is public land: 413,969 of its 501,021 acres. The largest share is national forest, 404,790 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 E |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 404,790 | 80.8% |
| State forest and park land | 9,179 | 1.8% |
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 E?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU C1 | 206 | 121 | 78 | 0.62 | 0 + 1 |
| WMU C2 | 257 | 160 | 117 | 0.69 | 0 + 1 |
| 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 J1 | 507 | 666 | 476 | 1.53 | 4 + 4 |
Highways crossing WMU E: US 302 (27 miles), NH 16 (25 miles), NH 112 (24 miles), US 3 (18 miles), US 2 (14 miles) and I-93 (13 miles). Towns inside: Lincoln, Bartlett, Conway and Jackson.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU E in 2025?
135: 120 male and 15 female deer, 25 by archery, 17 by muzzleloader, 89 in the regular firearms season and 4 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 125.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU E 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, and in firearms season (November 11 to December 6) November 11 to 12; the rest of each season is antlered deer only (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)).
Is the WMU E deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU E the objective is 80 adult bucks a year and the current level is 112, so the plan calls for a change of -29% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 119 in 2018 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU E?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU E is in bear unit E, White Mountains region, where hunters took 81 bears in 2025 and 58 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 E?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU E1, moose WMU E2 and moose WMU E3, 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.
New Hampshire hunting WMU C1 WMU C2 WMU D1 WMU D2E WMU F WMU J1