New Hampshire WMU K: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit K covers 658 square miles of Hillsborough and Merrimack counties. Hunters took 1,394 deer there in 2025, up from 1,145 in 2024, and 793 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 782. In 2026 any deer may be taken on the first four days of muzzleloader season and the first four days of firearms season. 3.5% of the unit is public land, the largest share Army Corps of Engineers (6,400 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 EngineersMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU KNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 658 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.5% (14,638 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,394 (878 male, 516 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 1,145 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 793; ten-year average 782 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.5 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 3; firearms November 11 to 14 |
| Bears taken in bear unit K, 2025 | 35 (19 over bait, 16 still hunting) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit K, 2025 | 545 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | None; NHFG has suspended moose permits here |
| Wildlife management areas | Perkins Pond, Pinchard, Souhegan River, Milford Fish Hatchery |
How many deer are taken in WMU K each season?
1,394 deer in 2025, 249 more than in 2024. 41.5% came in archery season and 41.5% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 2.5 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 269 | 310 | 579 | 358 |
| Youth weekend | 14 | 17 | 31 | 32 |
| Muzzleloader | 137 | 68 | 205 | 260 |
| Firearm | 458 | 121 | 579 | 495 |
| All seasons | 878 | 516 | 1,394 | 1,145 |
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 K changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU K gave 793 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 867 in 2020 and the fewest 629 in 2016. NHFG's objective for the unit is 675 a year, and its two-year average stands at 770 (desired change -12%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 793 | +47 |
| 2024 | 746 | -85 |
| 2023 | 831 | +11 |
| 2022 | 820 | +1 |
| 2021 | 819 | -48 |
| 2020 | 867 | +53 |
| 2019 | 814 | +86 |
| 2018 | 728 | -40 |
| 2017 | 768 | +139 |
| 2016 | 629 | +8 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU K bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU K averaged 17.5 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (166 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 38% of the adult bucks it aged (445 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 K had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weare | K | 141 | 97 | 2.5 |
| New Boston | K | 121 | 107 | 2.83 |
| Concord | I1, J2, K, L | 109 | 106 | 1.71 |
| Goffstown | K | 106 | 82 | 2.87 |
| Rindge | H2, K | 102 | 86 | 2.76 |
| Dunbarton | K | 94 | 61 | 3.22 |
| Amherst | K, M | 92 | 84 | 2.73 |
| Jaffrey | H2, K | 91 | 75 | 2.38 |
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 K?
| 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 K, 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 K?
Bear unit K (Southwest-2 region) gave 35 bears in 2025: 19 over bait, 16 by still hunting and 0 with hounds, after 55 in 2024. NHFG estimates 0.52 bears per square mile in the Southwest-2 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 30, baiting September 1 to 28 and hounds are not allowed.
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 K?
545 spring gobblers in 2025 (352 toms and 193 jakes), against a five-year average of 661, and 41 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; shotgun October 12 to 18.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit K | 661 | 702 | 652 | 523 | 545 |
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 K?
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 K?
3.5% of WMU K is public land: 14,638 of its 421,366 acres. The largest share is Army Corps of Engineers, 6,400 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 K |
|---|---|---|
| Army Corps of Engineers | 6,400 | 1.5% |
| State forest and park land | 5,416 | 1.3% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 2,887 | 0.7% |
| National wildlife refuge | 1,644 | 0.4% |
| Fish and Game land | 1,178 | 0.3% |
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 K
| Area | Acres in WMU K | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Perkins Pond | 312 | Weare |
| Pinchard | 252 | Mont Vernon |
| Souhegan River | 211 | Greenville, Wilton |
| Milford Fish Hatchery | 166 | Milford |
| Powder Mill Pond | 129 | Greenfield, Hancock |
| Piscataquog | 50 | Lyndeborough |
| Glen Lake + Gregg Falls | 26 | Goffstown |
Which WMUs border WMU K?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU H2 | 720 | 1,262 | 833 | 1.98 | 4 + 5 |
| WMU I1 | 368 | 499 | 308 | 1.56 | 3 + 3 |
| WMU I2 | 396 | 438 | 330 | 1.26 | 2 + 2 |
| WMU L | 514 | 1,610 | 779 | 4.16 | 11 + 12 |
| WMU M | 722 | 2,222 | 1,024 | 4.94 | 11 + 12 |
Highways crossing WMU K: NH 13 (31 miles), NH 31 (30 miles), NH 114 (27 miles), NH 123 (20 miles), NH 77 (18 miles) and NH 136 (18 miles). Towns inside: Weare, Henniker, New Boston and Peterborough.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU K in 2025?
1,394: 878 male and 516 female deer, 579 by archery, 205 by muzzleloader, 579 in the regular firearms season and 31 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 1,145.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU K 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 K deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU K the objective is 675 adult bucks a year and the current level is 770, so the plan calls for a change of -12% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 867 in 2020 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU K?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU K is in bear unit K, Southwest-2 region, where hunters took 35 bears in 2025 and 55 in 2024. The 2026 general bear season there runs September 1 to November 30, baiting September 1 to 28, and hound hunting is closed (NHFG Bear Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 seasons)).
Can you hunt moose in WMU K?
Not in 2026. NHFG has suspended moose permits in moose WMU K, 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.