Hunting News

2020 deer season is second largest since 1922

2020 deer season is second largest since 1922

By New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

The 2020 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest Summary, now available, reports the state’s 2020 deer season as a total harvest of 13,044 deer. This year’s adult (antlered) buck harvest of 7,986 deer was the second largest documented in the state since recordkeeping began in 1922.

Archers took 3,785 deer, the youth weekend accounted for 295 deer harvested, and muzzleloader and regular firearm hunters took 3,166 and 5,798 deer, respectively.

The Harvest Summary includes data from the NH Trophy Deer Program, run by the NH Antler and Skull Trophy Club, which annually recognizes hunters who harvest deer with a weight of 200 pounds or more by archery, muzzleloader and regular firearms. 2020’s heaviest deer, weighing 270 pounds, was taken by Mark Evans of Wentworth, NH, using a muzzleloader. Evans’ harvest ranked among the top ten heaviest deer ever taken in the Granite State.

The publication presents final data on the 2020 New Hampshire hunting seasons as summarized by Fish and Game Department wildlife biologists. The annual publication provides a complete analysis of hunting season statistics, chronicled by town and Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).

The Harvest Summary is also 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 coming weeks.

Bear and turkey harvests are included. The 2020 bear take totaled 1,183 and is the largest harvest on record.

The spring 2020 turkey harvest was 5,718, an increase from 5,092 turkeys in 2019. This was also the largest spring turkey harvest on record. This increase may be attributable to the 2019 rule that allows hunters to take a second spring bird in certain Wildlife Management Units and an increase in hunter participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 fall turkey harvest of 584 was an increase from 352 birds in 2019.

The Wildlife Harvest Summary also provides statistics for moose and furbearers.

Wildlife research and management activities in New Hampshire, including production of the annual Harvest Summary, are funded through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, a user-pay, user-benefit program supported by the purchase of firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment.

More about hunting in New Hampshire is available online.

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd