New Hampshire WMU L: deer harvest, any-deer days, bears and public land
New Hampshire's Wildlife Management Unit L covers 514 square miles of Rockingham, Strafford and Merrimack counties. Hunters took 1,610 deer there in 2025, up from 1,403 in 2024, and 779 of them were adult bucks against a ten-year average of 754. In 2026 any deer may be taken on all eleven days of muzzleloader season and the first twelve days of firearms season. 6.3% of the unit is public land, the largest share state forest and park land (16,372 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 refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU LNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 514 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 6.3% (20,557 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,610 (899 male, 711 female) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 1,403 |
| Adult bucks, 2025 | 779; ten-year average 754 |
| Deer per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 4.16 (NHFG) |
| Any-deer days, 2026 | Muzzleloader October 31 to November 10; firearms November 11 to 22 |
| Special antlerless permits, 2026 | 3,500 permittees |
| Bears taken in bear unit L, 2025 | 8 (1 over bait, 7 still hunting) |
| Spring turkeys in turkey unit L, 2025 | 516 |
| Moose permits, 2026 | 3 (WMU L: 3) |
| Wildlife management areas | Piscassic River, Crommet Creek, Forest Peters, Bellamy River - West |
How many deer are taken in WMU L each season?
1,610 deer in 2025, 207 more than in 2024. 35.9% came in archery season and 41.8% in the regular firearms season; NHFG puts the 2025 kill at 4.16 deer per square mile of deer habitat, against 1.81 statewide.
| Season | Male, 2025 | Female, 2025 | All deer, 2025 | All deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 281 | 297 | 578 | 471 |
| Youth weekend | 11 | 14 | 25 | 15 |
| Muzzleloader | 176 | 158 | 334 | 401 |
| Firearm | 431 | 242 | 673 | 516 |
| All seasons | 899 | 711 | 1,610 | 1,403 |
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 L changed since 2016?
Adult bucks are NHFG's steadiest index of a unit's deer numbers. WMU L gave 779 in 2025; the most in the last ten seasons was 806 in 2020 and the fewest 643 in 2016. NHFG's objective for the unit is 525 a year, and its two-year average stands at 764 (desired change -31%).
| Season | Adult bucks | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 779 | +30 |
| 2024 | 749 | -12 |
| 2023 | 761 | -33 |
| 2022 | 794 | +71 |
| 2021 | 723 | -83 |
| 2020 | 806 | +41 |
| 2019 | 765 | +26 |
| 2018 | 739 | -44 |
| 2017 | 783 | +140 |
| 2016 | 643 | -68 |
What do NHFG's check stations say about WMU L bucks?
Yearling bucks measured at check stations in WMU L averaged 18.2 mm of antler beam over 2021 to 2025 (94 deer); NHFG reads 17 to 19 mm as deer in good to excellent health. Yearlings made up 40.7% of the adult bucks it aged (241 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 L had the most deer registered?
| Town | WMUs in the town | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | J2, L | 197 | 139 | 4.45 |
| Barrington | J2, L | 157 | 115 | 3.38 |
| Deerfield | L | 152 | 128 | 2.99 |
| Dover | L | 126 | 129 | 4.72 |
| Epping | L, M | 119 | 93 | 4.63 |
| Durham | L | 114 | 106 | 5.1 |
| Epsom | J2, L | 112 | 87 | 3.29 |
| Concord | I1, J2, K, L | 109 | 106 | 1.71 |
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 L?
| 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 10; antlered only after |
| Regular firearms | November 11 to December 6 | Any deer November 11 to 22; antlered only after |
| Special antlerless permit | Through the seasons | 3,500 permittees, antlerless only |
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 L, 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 L?
Bear unit L (Southeast region) gave 8 bears in 2025: 1 over bait, 7 by still hunting and 0 with hounds, after 9 in 2024. NHFG estimates 0.15 bears per square mile in the Southeast region against a goal of 0.05, and its plan is to decrease 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 L?
516 spring gobblers in 2025 (326 toms and 189 jakes), against a five-year average of 517, and 58 turkeys in fall 2025. Fall 2026: bow September 15 to December 15; shotgun October 12 to 18.
| Spring | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit L | 523 | 543 | 492 | 433 | 516 |
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 L?
Yes. NHFG issues 3 either-sex permits for 2026 in moose WMU L, for the nine-day season of October 17 to 25. In 2025: 3 permits in WMU L took 0 moose.
Sources: NHFG 2026 Moose Hunting Season and Management; NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary.
How much public land is in WMU L?
6.3% of WMU L is public land: 20,557 of its 328,905 acres. The largest share is state forest and park land, 16,372 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 L |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and park land | 16,372 | 5% |
| Fish and Game land | 4,185 | 1.3% |
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 L
| Area | Acres in WMU L | Town (NHFG) |
|---|---|---|
| Piscassic River | 1,108 | Epping, Newfields, Newmarket |
| Crommet Creek | 657 | Durham, Newmarket |
| Forest Peters | 461 | Deerfield, Northwood |
| Bellamy River - West | 421 | Dover |
| Lamprey River | 419 | Durham, Newmarket |
| Lamontagne | 345 | Deerfield, Northwood |
| Corey | 181 | Deerfield |
| Tuttle Swamp | 172 | Newmarket |
| Cocheco River | 140 | Dover |
| Woodman Marsh | 73 | Northwood |
| Adams Point | 70 | Durham |
| Shackford Point | 58 | Newmarket |
| Doles Marsh | 31 | Deerfield, Northwood |
| Bellamy River - East | 21 | Dover |
| Soucook River | 20 | Concord |
| Bunker Creek | 20 | Durham |
| Goodrich Marsh | 17 | Epping |
| Stonehouse Pond | 14 | Barrington |
Which WMUs border WMU L?
| WMU | Square miles | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Deer per sq mi of habitat | Any-deer days 2026 (muzzleloader + firearms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU I1 | 368 | 499 | 308 | 1.56 | 3 + 3 |
| WMU J2 | 929 | 2,113 | 1,169 | 2.93 | 4 + 5 |
| WMU K | 658 | 1,394 | 793 | 2.5 | 4 + 4 |
| WMU M | 722 | 2,222 | 1,024 | 4.94 | 11 + 12 |
Highways crossing WMU L: NH 9 (39 miles), US 4 (37 miles), NH 16 (34 miles), NH 101 (31 miles), US 202 (28 miles) and NH 27 (28 miles). Towns inside: Deerfield, Barrington, Nottingham and Rochester.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were taken in New Hampshire WMU L in 2025?
1,610: 899 male and 711 female deer, 578 by archery, 334 by muzzleloader, 673 in the regular firearms season and 25 on youth weekend (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). In 2024 the unit gave 1,403.
When can you shoot a doe in WMU L 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 10, and in firearms season (November 11 to December 6) November 11 to 22; the rest of each season is antlered deer only (NHFG Deer Hunting in New Hampshire (2026 dates)). NHFG also issues 3,500 special antlerless-only permits for WMU L.
Is the WMU L deer herd above NHFG's goal?
NHFG measures each unit by its two-year average adult buck kill. For WMU L the objective is 525 adult bucks a year and the current level is 764, so the plan calls for a change of -31% (NHFG 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary). Adult bucks taken peaked at 806 in 2020 over the last ten seasons.
How many bears are taken in WMU L?
NHFG reports bears by bear unit; WMU L is in bear unit L, Southeast region, where hunters took 8 bears in 2025 and 9 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 L?
Yes, by lottery permit. NHFG issues 3 either-sex moose permits for moose WMU L in 2026, and the season runs October 17 to 25 (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.