CONTACT:
Becky Fuda: (603) 744-5470
Andy Timmins: (603) 271-1742
October 7, 2026
Concord, NH – Over 25,000 muzzleloader hunters are expected to take to New Hampshire’s woodlands during the upcoming muzzleloader deer season, which runs from October 31 to November 10. Muzzleloaders are single-barrel, single-shot firearms which require that the projectile be loaded through the muzzle each time before firing. Muzzleloaders harken back to pioneer days but have become a more sophisticated and increasingly popular sporting firearm in recent years.
“Deer hunting is very popular in New Hampshire,” said Becky Fuda, Deer Project Leader at the NH Fish and Game Department. “People enjoy the opportunity to spend time in the field with friends and family. They also appreciate the high-quality food value of venison, which is a naturally fed, free-range source of lean protein for thousands of New Hampshire families. Last year hunters harvested approximately 14,387 deer in our state. If you assume that each deer provides about 45 pounds of venison, and that each venison meal weighs approximately 1/2 pound, that amounts to more than a million meals of venison enjoyed each year.”
Fuda also noted that, “New Hampshire’s 11–day muzzleloader season is favored by hunters because of its early timing, milder weather, and the high level of buck activity that happens leading up to the peak of the deer breeding period in mid- to late November. Many hunters also view the muzzleloader season as a way to scout the woods and get in shape for the approaching firearms season.”
In New Hampshire, muzzleloader hunters are given 11 days prior to the opening day of the regular firearms season to hunt deer. Hunters must obtain a regular hunting license ($32 for residents; $113 for nonresidents) and a muzzleloader license ($16 for residents; $41 for nonresidents).
Hunters are reminded that online deer registration will be unavailable on the first 2 days of muzzleloader season, October 31 and November 1, and the first 3 days of firearms season, November 11, 12, and 13. Hunters must check in their deer in person on these dates.
To learn more about hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.huntnh.com.
