New Hampshire WMU I2: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit I2 covers 396 square miles of Merrimack, Sullivan, Hillsborough and Cheshire counties. Hunters took 438 deer there in 2025, up from 347 in 2024, and 330 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 280. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first two days of muzzleloader season and the first two days of firearms season. 6.1% of the unit is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (12,951 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 landState forest and park landNational wildlife refugeArmy Corps of EngineersWMU I2Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 396 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 6.1% (15,402 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 438 (344 male, 94 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 347 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 330; ten-year average 280 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 1.26 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 1; firearms November 11 to 12 |
| Bears taken in bear unit I2, 2025 | 46 (35 over bait, 9 still hunting, 2 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit I2, 2025 | 178 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
| Wildlife management areas | Farrar Marsh, Cemetery Hill, Gordon, Wendall Marsh |
How many deer are taken in WMU I2 each season?
438 deer in 2025, 91 more than in 2024. 32% came in archery season and 45.9% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 1.26 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 81 | 59 | 140 | 82 |
| Youth weekend | 2 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Muzzleloader | 79 | 10 | 89 | 54 |
| Firearm | 182 | 19 | 201 | 202 |
| All seasons | 344 | 94 | 438 | 347 |
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 I2 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU I2 gave 330 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 330 in 2025 and the fewest 198 in 2016. NHFG's objective for the unit is 260 a year, and its two-year average stands at 297 (desired change -12%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 330 | +67 |
| 2024 | 263 | -42 |
| 2023 | 305 | +20 |
| 2022 | 285 | -37 |
| 2021 | 322 | +28 |
| 2020 | 294 | +25 |
| 2019 | 269 | -8 |
| 2018 | 277 | +23 |
| 2017 | 254 | +56 |
| 2016 | 198 | +9 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU I2 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU I2 averaged 17.4 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (47 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 34.8% of the adult bucks it aged (135 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 I2 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | H1, I2 | 103 | 82 | 2.39 |
| Hopkinton | I1, I2, K | 86 | 60 | 2.08 |
| Henniker | I2, K | 61 | 55 | 1.46 |
| Hillsborough | H2, I2, K | 61 | 38 | 1.41 |
| Warner | I1, I2 | 54 | 45 | 0.99 |
| Sutton | I1, I2 | 48 | 44 | 1.14 |
| Washington | I2 | 48 | 34 | 1.06 |
| Lempster | H1, I2 | 46 | 37 | 1.43 |
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 I2?
| 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 1; 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 I2, 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 I2?
Bear unit I2 (Southwest-1 region) gave 46 bears in 2025: 35 over bait, 9 by still hunting and 2 with hounds, after 68 in 2024. NHFG estimates 0.45 bears per square mile in the Southwest-1 region against a goal of 0.5, and its plan is to stabilize 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 I2?
178 spring gobblers in 2025 (123 toms and 55 jakes), against a five-year average of 211, and 8 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit I2 | 219 | 262 | 214 | 148 | 178 |
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 I2?
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 I2?
6.1% of WMU I2 is public land: 15,402 of its 253,209 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 12,951 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 I2 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 12,951 | 5.1% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 1,524 | 0.6% |
| Fish and Game land | 847 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge | 80 | 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 I2
| Area | Acres in WMU I2 | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Farrar Marsh | 620 | Henniker, Hillsborough |
| Cemetery Hill | 99 | Sunapee |
| Gordon | 40 | Sunapee |
| Wendall Marsh | 11 | Sunapee |
Which WMUs border WMU I2?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU G1 | 433 | 738 | 501 | 1.9 | 6 + 6 |
| WMU H1 | 410 | 908 | 598 | 2.45 | 4 + 5 |
| WMU H2 | 720 | 1,262 | 833 | 1.98 | 4 + 5 |
| WMU I1 | 368 | 499 | 308 | 1.56 | 3 + 3 |
| WMU K | 658 | 1,394 | 793 | 2.5 | 4 + 4 |
Highways crossing WMU I2: I-89 (35 miles), NH 103 (26 miles), NH 31 (20 miles), NH 9 (15 miles), NH 11 (15 miles) and NH 114 (12 miles). Towns inside: Washington, Hillsborough, Sutton and Newbury.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU I2 in 2025?
438: 344 male and 94 female deer, 140 by archery, 89 by muzzleloader, 201 in the regular firearms season and 8 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 347.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU I2 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 1, 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 I2 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU I2 the objective is 260 adult bucks a year and the current level is 297, so the plan calls for a change of -12% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 330 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU I2?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU I2 is in bear unit I2, Southwest-1 region, where hunters took 46 bears in 2025 and 68 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 I2?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU I2, 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.