The 2019 Wildlife Harvest Summary now available reflects a total harvest of 12,306 deer. The adult (antlered) buck kill of 7,870 deer was the second largest harvest documented in the state since recordkeeping began in 1922.
Archers took 3,395 deer; the youth weekend accounted for 286 deer harvested, and muzzleloader and regular firearm hunters took 3,428 and 5,197 deer, respectively.
The publication presents final data on the 2019 New Hampshire hunting seasons as summarized by the Fish and Game Department’s wildlife biologists. This annual publication provides a complete analysis of hunting season statistics, including some information chronicled by town and Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).
The 2019 N.H. Wildlife Harvest Summary is available online.
A limited number of print copies will be available at Fish and Game Department headquarters in Concord and regional Fish and Game offices in Durham, New Hampton, Lancaster and Keene in the coming weeks.
The Harvest Summary includes data from the Trophy Deer Program run by the Antler and Skull Trophy Club, which annually recognizes hunters who harvest deer with a weight of 200 pounds or more by each of the three hunting methods: archery, muzzleloader, and regular firearms. 2019’s heaviest deer, weighing 243 pounds, was taken by Christopher Stanley of Charlestown, using a muzzleloader.
The 2019 bear harvest total was 886 and represents the third largest harvest on record.
The spring 2019 turkey harvest was 5,092, an increase from 4,204 turkeys in 2018. This increase in harvest is because hunters could take a second spring bird in 6 out of the 18 WMUs for the first time in 2019. In fact, 912 hunters were successful in harvesting a second spring bird. The 2019 fall turkey harvest of 352 birds was a significant decrease from 2018 for this same reason. This decline was also likely due to the abundant acorn crop, which causes turkeys to spend more time feeding in forested areas where they are less susceptible to harvest.
The 2019 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary also provides statistics for moose and furbearers.