WMU D2E, New Hampshire
About this unit
Sign in to contributeNH WMU D2E covers the eastern Lakes Region of Carroll County, encompassing towns like Ossipee, Wakefield, Effingham, and Freedom, featuring a mix of hardwood forest, wetlands, and the rare Ossipee Pine Barrens pitch pine-scrub oak habitat. The unit holds good white-tailed deer and wild turkey numbers with reliable fall hunting, a healthy black bear population eligible for an additional bear tag, and sits at the southern fringe of New Hampshire's moose range with occasional permit opportunity through the statewide lottery.
Mixed northern hardwood and softwood forest with significant wetland complexes around Ossipee Lake and the Branch River corridor. The Ossipee Pine Barrens (pitch pine/scrub oak) is a globally rare forest type unique to this unit, providing distinct edge habitat. Elevation is moderate (400-1,200 ft), terrain is rolling with glacial outwash plains near Ossipee Lake.
Public land is substantial: Pine River State Forest (approx. 3,190 acres in Ossipee/Effingham), Ossipee Lake Natural Area (~400 acres), and multiple NH Fish and Game Wildlife Management Areas including Union Meadows WMA (Wakefield) along the Branch River. The Saco Ranger District of White Mountain National Forest begins just to the north and northwest (Madison, Tamworth, Conway). Additional DRED-owned parcels total several thousand acres in the Effingham/Ossipee corridor. General NH rule: all state and federal land is open to hunting unless posted.
moderate
Antlerless deer permits for WMU D2E are available via the statewide antlerless permit system. D2 WMUs are not among the highest-allocation units (unlike southern WMUs L and M); hunters should check NHFG's annual permit availability at wildlife.nh.gov. One buck per year included with base license; antlerless requires a separate permit. An either-sex period applies during archery and muzzleloader seasons in many WMUs.
DEER: Archery season ~Sept 15 – Dec 15; Muzzleloader ~Nov 1 for 11 days; Regular firearms ~Nov 12 for approx. 23 days. One antlered deer per license; antlerless by permit. BEAR: Statewide season opens Sept 1; WMU D2 (which includes D2E) qualifies for an additional bear tag/license — hunter must register first bear before taking second. All bears must be registered within 24 hours in person. TURKEY: Spring season May 1–31 (statewide); fall archery Sept 15 – Dec 15; fall shotgun approximately Oct 13–19 in select WMUs (confirm D2E inclusion in annual digest). MOOSE: Statewide lottery permit, typically drawn Jan–May for an Oct hunt (~Oct 17–25). D2E is at the southern edge of NH moose range; permits are limited and odds are low, but moose are present in the unit.
Ossipee Pine Barrens edge habitat concentrates deer and turkey; Pine River State Forest offers accessible walk-in hunting with minimal pressure compared to southern NH. Bears are huntable with an additional tag (WMU D2 eligible). Spring turkey is a consistent draw — WMU D2 falls within established turkey range with good gobbler numbers. The Branch River and Ossipee Lake wetland edges are excellent early-season archery stand locations. Moose are occasionally encountered, particularly in alder swales and softwood regeneration areas.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU D2E— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about WMU D2E.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: NHFG official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 114d ago.