CONTACT:
Jessica Carloni: (603) 868-1095
Jay Martin: (603) 271-3211
March 18, 2022
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public meeting on proposed season dates and bag limits for the 2022-2023 waterfowl hunting season on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at the N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH. Comments made at the meeting will be considered in finalizing New Hampshire’s 2022-2023 waterfowl season dates. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to provide comments, please email them to comments@wildlife.nh.gov and enter “Waterfowl Season Setting” in the subject line. Written comments will be accepted and considered up until April 1, 2022.
New Hampshire’s proposed waterfowl season dates are similar to last year except for a shortening of the first split in the Coastal Zone to accommodate a longer second split due to the elimination of the special sea duck season. The overall duck season is 60 days, with a daily bag limit of 6 birds. Sea ducks are now included in the regular duck bag. The regular goose season, determined by population status of North Atlantic Population (NAP) Canada geese, will also be similar to last year with a 60-day season and a 2-bird bag limit.
Proposed season for ducks, mergansers, coots, and Canada geese include:
- The proposed Northern Zone season would open on October 2 and run through November 30, 2022.
- The proposed Inland & Connecticut River Zone season would open on October 4 and run through November 6, then reopen November 23 through December 18, 2022.
- The proposed Coastal Zone season would open on October 5 and run through October 11, then reopen November 23, 2022 through January 14, 2023.
A significant change has occurred regarding the sea duck season. The special sea duck season has been curtailed and the bag limit has been reduced due to concerns about over harvesting. Sea ducks will now be a part of the general duck bag and will have a bag limit of 4 and a possession limit of 12. In the general duck bag, sea ducks are restricted as follows: no more than 3 scoters, 3 long-tailed ducks, or 3 eiders, 1 of which may be a hen. The coastal season dates have been adjusted accordingly to accommodate this. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/documents/flyway-sea-duck-season-2022.pdf.
The hooded merganser species restriction of 2 per day has been removed, so 5 hooded mergansers can be harvested per day.
The full draft proposal may be viewed at
https://wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/waterfowl-season.html.
For a map of the waterfowl zones, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/waterfowl-zones.html.
The NH Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to conserve, manage and protect our fish, wildlife, and marine resources and habitats. Visit huntnh.com for more information.
