New Hampshire WMU G1: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit G1 covers 433 square miles of Grafton, Merrimack and Sullivan counties. Hunters took 738 deer there in 2025, up from 725 in 2024, and 501 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 477. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first six days of muzzleloader season and the first six days of firearms season. 7.6% of the unit is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (7,137 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 ServiceArmy Corps of EngineersWMU G1Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 433 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 7.6% (21,019 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 738 (520 male, 218 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 725 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 501; ten-year average 477 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 1.9 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 5; firearms November 11 to 16 |
| Bears taken in bear unit G, 2025 | 141 (100 over bait, 35 still hunting, 6 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit G, 2025 | 249 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
| Wildlife management areas | Henry Laramie, Lower Shaker, Carter Brook, McDaniels Marsh |
How many deer are taken in WMU G1 each season?
738 deer in 2025, 13 more than in 2024. 30.5% came in archery season and 49.2% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 1.9 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 112 | 113 | 225 | 181 |
| Youth weekend | 7 | 14 | 21 | 24 |
| Muzzleloader | 94 | 35 | 129 | 154 |
| Firearm | 307 | 56 | 363 | 366 |
| All seasons | 520 | 218 | 738 | 725 |
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 G1 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU G1 gave 501 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 524 in 2019 and the fewest 433 in 2022. NHFG's objective for the unit is 340 a year, and its two-year average stands at 498 (desired change -32%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 501 | +7 |
| 2024 | 494 | +52 |
| 2023 | 442 | +9 |
| 2022 | 433 | -17 |
| 2021 | 450 | -3 |
| 2020 | 453 | -71 |
| 2019 | 524 | +9 |
| 2018 | 515 | +20 |
| 2017 | 495 | +29 |
| 2016 | 466 | +46 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU G1 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU G1 averaged 17.3 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (66 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 37.4% of the adult bucks it aged (182 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 G1 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover | G1 | 160 | 162 | 3.27 |
| Lebanon | G1, H1 | 159 | 159 | 3.96 |
| Lyme | G1 | 129 | 118 | 2.4 |
| Enfield | G1, H1 | 116 | 121 | 2.89 |
| Canaan | G1, G2 | 90 | 94 | 1.69 |
| Orford | D2W, G1 | 72 | 83 | 1.55 |
| Andover | G1, I1 | 57 | 34 | 1.42 |
| Grafton | G1, G2 | 44 | 25 | 1.06 |
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 G1?
| 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 5; 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 G1, 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 G1?
Bear unit G (Central region) gave 141 bears in 2025: 100 over bait, 35 by still hunting and 6 with hounds, after 152 in 2024. NHFG estimates 0.58 bears per square mile in the Central region against a goal of 0.5, 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.
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 G?
249 spring gobblers in 2025 (177 toms and 72 jakes), against a five-year average of 288, and 14 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit G | 271 | 320 | 334 | 260 | 249 |
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 G1?
Not in 2026. NHFG last issued moose permits here in 2020; 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 G1?
7.6% of WMU G1 is public land: 21,019 of its 276,814 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 7,137 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 G1 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 7,137 | 2.6% |
| National forest | 6,968 | 2.5% |
| Fish and Game land | 6,299 | 2.3% |
| National Park Service | 309 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 306 | 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 G1
| Area | Acres in WMU G1 | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Laramie | 3,293 | Enfield, Grantham |
| Lower Shaker | 1,101 | Enfield |
| Carter Brook | 824 | Springfield |
| McDaniels Marsh | 687 | Springfield |
| Mascoma River | 173 | Canaan |
| Herbert L. Webster | 90 | Canaan |
| Reeds | 72 | Orford |
| Wilder | 59 | Lyme |
Which WMUs border WMU G1?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU D2W | 367 | 827 | 549 | 2.44 | 5 + 6 |
| WMU F | 483 | 200 | 167 | 0.44 | 2 + 2 |
| WMU G2 | 240 | 163 | 109 | 0.75 | 2 + 2 |
| WMU H1 | 410 | 908 | 598 | 2.45 | 4 + 5 |
| WMU I1 | 368 | 499 | 308 | 1.56 | 3 + 3 |
| WMU I2 | 396 | 438 | 330 | 1.26 | 2 + 2 |
Highways crossing WMU G1: NH 10 (37 miles), I-89 (30 miles), US 4 (24 miles), NH 118 (10 miles), NH 11 (7 miles) and NH 120 (6 miles). Towns inside: Lyme, Canaan, Hanover and Orford.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU G1 in 2025?
738: 520 male and 218 female deer, 225 by archery, 129 by muzzleloader, 363 in the regular firearms season and 21 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 725.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU G1 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 5, 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 G1 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU G1 the objective is 340 adult bucks a year and the current level is 498, so the plan calls for a change of -32% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 524 in 2019 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU G1?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU G1 is in bear unit G, Central region, where hunters took 141 bears in 2025 and 152 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 G1?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU G, 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 D2W WMU F WMU G2 WMU H1 WMU I1 WMU I2