New Hampshire WMU J1: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit J1 covers 507 square miles of Carroll County. Hunters took 666 deer there in 2025, up from 576 in 2024, and 476 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 426. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first four days of muzzleloader season and the first four days of firearms season. 2.5% of the unit is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (7,864 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 landWMU J1Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 507 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.5% (8,169 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 666 (490 male, 176 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 576 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 476; ten-year average 426 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 1.53 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 3; firearms November 11 to 14 |
| Bears taken in bear unit J1, 2025 | 72 (41 over bait, 13 still hunting, 18 with hounds) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit J1, 2025 | 187 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
| Wildlife management areas | Hackett Hill, Garland Pond |
How many deer are taken in WMU J1 each season?
666 deer in 2025, 90 more than in 2024. 30.6% came in archery season and 53.2% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 1.53 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 90 | 114 | 204 | 124 |
| Youth weekend | 5 | 14 | 19 | 12 |
| Muzzleloader | 75 | 14 | 89 | 134 |
| Firearm | 320 | 34 | 354 | 306 |
| All seasons | 490 | 176 | 666 | 576 |
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 J1 changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU J1 gave 476 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 476 in 2025 and the fewest 354 in 2016. NHFG's objective for the unit is 310 a year, and its two-year average stands at 466 (desired change -33%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 476 | +21 |
| 2024 | 455 | +17 |
| 2023 | 438 | +9 |
| 2022 | 429 | +1 |
| 2021 | 428 | +8 |
| 2020 | 420 | +41 |
| 2019 | 379 | -82 |
| 2018 | 461 | +39 |
| 2017 | 422 | +68 |
| 2016 | 354 | +91 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU J1 bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU J1 averaged 17 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (83 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 35% of the adult bucks it aged (243 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 J1 had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moultonboro | J1, J2 | 127 | 101 | 2.13 |
| Wakefield | J1, J2 | 121 | 91 | 3.07 |
| Freedom | J1 | 93 | 72 | 2.7 |
| Wolfeboro | J1, J2 | 91 | 84 | 1.9 |
| Ossipee | J1 | 88 | 73 | 1.25 |
| Tuftonboro | J1, J2 | 81 | 58 | 2 |
| Conway | E, F, J1 | 67 | 65 | 0.96 |
| Sandwich | F, J1 | 56 | 44 | 0.62 |
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 J1?
| 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 3; antlered only after |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to December 6 | Any deer November 11 to 14; 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 J1, 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 J1?
Bear unit J1 (Central region) gave 72 bears in 2025: 41 over bait, 13 by still hunting and 18 with hounds, after 65 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 J1?
187 spring gobblers in 2025 (127 toms and 59 jakes), against a five-year average of 197, and 13 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; no fall shotgun season.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit J1 | 209 | 191 | 212 | 175 | 187 |
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 J1?
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 J1?
2.5% of WMU J1 is public land: 8,169 of its 324,622 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 7,864 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 J1 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 7,864 | 2.4% |
| Fish and Game land | 299 | 0.1% |
| National forest | 6 | 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 J1
| Area | Acres in WMU J1 | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Hackett Hill | 219 | Tamworth |
| Garland Pond | 73 | Ossipee |
Which WMUs border WMU J1?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU E | 783 | 135 | 117 | 0.2 | 1 + 2 |
| WMU F | 483 | 200 | 167 | 0.44 | 2 + 2 |
| WMU J2 | 929 | 2,113 | 1,169 | 2.93 | 4 + 5 |
Highways crossing WMU J1: NH 153 (35 miles), NH 16 (30 miles), NH 25 (28 miles), NH 113 (26 miles), NH 109 (17 miles) and NH 171 (14 miles). Towns inside: Ossipee, Tamworth, Tuftonboro and Wakefield.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU J1 in 2025?
666: 490 male and 176 female deer, 204 by archery, 89 by muzzleloader, 354 in the regular firearms season and 19 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 576.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU J1 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 3, and in firearms season (November 11 to December 6) November 11 to 14; the rest of each season is antlered deer only (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)).
Is the WMU J1 deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU J1 the objective is 310 adult bucks a year and the current level is 466, so the plan calls for a change of -33% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 476 in 2025 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU J1?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU J1 is in bear unit J1, Central region, where hunters took 72 bears in 2025 and 65 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 J1?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU J1, 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.