Planning your next dream hunt in New Hampshire? You may want to think again. New Hampshire is one of the most difficult states to hunt. Let’s put it in perspective with recent figures released by New Hampshire Fish & Game.
The current deer herd is estimated at about 85,000. With an estimated 60,000 hunters in the woods, the ratio is 1.4 deer available for every hunter. This year’s 11,167 deer kill was the highest since 2007. That means it took about 5.4 hunters to kill a single deer. One can also say, 82% of this year’s hunters went home empty handed. That number is probably higher since some hunters are fortunate enough to get more than one deer.
Granted these are rough deductions and somewhat silly. Will these results ever improve. Doubtful. The NH herd is limited by winter food sources. Cold winters also cut into the herd numbers. New Hampshire land owners can make a difference by planting natural winter food sources.
Soon I’ll add some infor comparing NH results with other eastern states like Virginia and New Jersey.
It’s hard to believe how far Massachusetts’ deer herd numbers have come since the late 1950s. Back then, harvest numbers … around 2,200 deer. Even come 1965, the numbers weren’t impressive. … the first for archery season. Bow hunters totaled 18 deer taken…