WMU D1, New Hampshire

Rugged mountain terrain dominated by northern hardwood and boreal forest — sugar maple, beech, yellow birch transitioning to spruce-fir at higher elevations. River bottoms along the Connecticut River and its tributaries provide lower-elevation deer habitat. Elevation ranges from roughly 800 feet in the valley to over 4,000 feet in the White Mountains. Mixed private farmland and woodlots in the lower elevations contrast with vast national forest on the upper slopes.

low to moderate

WMU D1 is a northern unit with lower deer densities; antlerless-only permits (AOP/DOP) are not routinely issued for northern units like D1 — hunters typically rely on their standard deer tag for an antlered deer. Any-deer permits for D1 are limited or not offered in most years. Hunters should verify current-year permit availability with NHFG before the season; Units L and M in southern NH receive the bulk of antlerless permit allocations. A single deer tag is included with the base hunting license.

DEER: Archery season September 15 - December 15; muzzleloader approximately November 1-11 (11 consecutive days); regular firearms November 11 - December 6. Bag limit one deer statewide with standard license tag; antlerless permits rarely issued for northern units — expect bucks-only in practice most years. BEAR: Season opens statewide September 1; in WMU D1 the season runs through approximately November 11. Archery and firearms both legal; baiting allowed with proper permit. Bag limit one bear in D1 (second-bear units are C1, D2, E, F — D1 is not among them). Bear permits $16 resident / $48 non-resident. All bears must be registered within 48 hours. TURKEY: Spring season May 1-31 statewide; fall turkey opportunities align with the archery deer window. Turkey populations are lower in northern mountain units than in southern NH — spring hunting is feasible but success rates are lower than central/southern WMUs. Turkey permit $16 resident / $31 non-resident. MOOSE: Northern WMUs including D1 are eligible for moose lottery permits. Season approximately October 17-25 annually. Permits are extremely limited statewide (typically under 50 tags total); applicants enter the NHFG lottery and odds for any individual are low. Moose populations in D1 are present but under pressure from winter tick; NHFG adjusts permit numbers annually based on population surveys.

Large contiguous WMNF acreage provides true backcountry hunting with minimal competition. Bear hunting is strong with a September 1 season opener and baiting permitted. Moose lottery permits are available for northern WMUs including D1 for hunters willing to enter the draw. Archery deer season runs a long September 15 - December 15 window. The Connecticut River valley corridor and lower-elevation agricultural edges concentrate deer in fall.