Title XVIII, Fish and Game

No person shall, at any time, shoot, hunt, take or possess, any animal of the species known as Canadian Lynx or part of the carcass thereof, taken in this state. However, this section shall not apply to a person acting in self-protection or protecting such person's property.

The executive director of fish and game, with the consent of the commission, shall establish, by rules adopted under RSA 541-A, a night hunting season for coyote. Such rules shall include, but not be limited to, the method and manner of taking, reporting requirements, length of t…

No owner or keeper of any camp, house, or other building, used partly or wholly in lumbering operations, and no person connected with or employed in or about such camp, house, or building, shall use, consume, permit to be served as food, store or have in possession at any time, i…

No person shall buy, sell, or offer or expose for sale a deer, moose, or bear or part thereof except the head, hide, or feet.

A resident of the state may transport within the state, during the open season and for 10 days thereafter, a deer legally taken by the resident, when accompanied by such resident, and to which the deer tag has been attached as provided in RSA 208:16 and for which the resident has…

The holder of a nonresident hunting license may transport within the state or from a point within the state to a point outside the state, a deer legally taken by the nonresident, when accompanied by such nonresident and to which the deer tag has been attached as provided in RSA 2…

I. Any transportation of deer not covered in RSA 208:12 and 13 shall be allowed only under the terms of a special permit, signed by the executive director or an agent of the executive director, except that a person under 16 years of age, hunting without a license but accompanied …

The possession of a deer or any part thereof by a person or common carrier, otherwise than as herein prescribed, shall be prima facie evidence that such person or common carrier is guilty of a violation of the provisions of this subdivision.

The executive director shall cause to be established such number of deer registration stations as the executive director may deem necessary for the purpose of registering deer killed in the state. Each such station shall be in charge of an agent designated by the executive direct…

The registration agent shall register each deer legally presented for registration and shall provide a registration confirmation number for each deer in the manner prescribed by the executive director. The executive director shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A relative to reg…

The agent shall keep such records as may be prescribed by the executive director which records shall be subject to inspection at anytime by the executive director or an agent of the executive director.

Any person killing a deer shall present the same for registration at the first open deer registration station on the route taken by the person who killed the deer, or by using the online registration process established by the executive director under RSA 208:15-h. No person shal…

No person shall keep a deer in the person's home, or any place of storage, except at a deer registration station, for a period of more than 24 hours unless the deer has been legally registered.

If a person, after killing a deer, shall leave the location where the deer was killed without taking the deer the person shall notify a conservation officer within 12 hours as to the location of the deer and describe the circumstances necessitating such person's leaving the deer …

No person shall possess at anytime any deer, or part thereof, which has not been legally registered as herein provided. The provisions of this section shall not apply to either the possession of a deer between the time it was killed and the presentation of the deer at the registr…

The executive director shall cause to be established an online registration system on or before September 1, 2023 for the purpose of registering deer killed in the state. The executive director shall act as the registration agent for deer registered through the online registratio…

The executive director may, by administrative rule adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A, limit the availability of online registration on days designated for biological sample collection and suspend online registration in the event of a wildlife or public health emergency, with the cons…

I. The holder of a license to hunt under RSA 214:9, I, III, VI, VII, and RSA 208:5 shall be provided with a deer tag attached to the license. The holder of a license shall, upon killing a deer, fill out and detach the deer tag from the license and then securely attach to the deer…

I. The executive director, after consulting with the commission, shall have the authority to open and close the seasons for the taking of wild deer, to fix the number and sex limitations for wild deer, and any other conditions governing the methods and manner of taking and report…

A person who violates: I. RSA 208:1, 1-b, 1-d, 7, I and II, and 8 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person. II. RSA 208:3, 3-a, 3-b, 3-c, 4, 5, 5-a, 6-a, 7, III, 10, and 12-16 inclusive, shall be guilty of a violation if a na…

I. The executive director, with the consent of the commission, shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to opening and closing the seasons for the taking of wild black bear, fixing the number of wild black bear that may be taken and any other conditions governing the me…

I. The wild black bear has played a vital role in the development and history of the state and is recognized as a valuable game and wildlife resource. It is recognized that bears should be accorded such protection as is necessary to maintain and enhance their numbers. II. No pers…

The executive director may condemn, upon request of a licensee, the carcass of a lawfully taken and possessed game animal that is determined unfit for human consumption, provided the condition was not created by the actions of the person who took the animal. The entire game anima…

Wild deer shall not be taken by the use of a firearm, other than a pistol as permitted in RSA 208:3-d, a shotgun loaded with a single ball or loose buckshot, muzzle-loading rifle, bow and arrow, or crossbow as provided in RSA 208:7-a, in the towns of the following counties as fol…

Wild deer shall not be taken in the towns of Greenland, Newington and Stratham and the city of Portsmouth by use of a firearm, other than a pistol as permitted in RSA 208:3-d, a shotgun loaded with a single ball, a muzzle-loading rifle, bow and arrow, or crossbow as provided in R…

Wild deer shall not be taken in the town of Chester by use of a firearm other than a pistol as permitted in RSA 208:3-d, a shotgun loaded with a single ball, muzzle-loaders as provided in RSA 208:5-a, bow and arrow, or crossbow as provided in RSA 208:7-a.

Wild deer shall not be taken in the town of Auburn except by the use of a pistol as permitted in RSA 208:3-d, a shotgun loaded with a single ball, a muzzle-loading rifle, a bow and arrow, or crossbow as provided in RSA 208:7-a.

Pistols permitted under RSA 208:3, 3-a, 3-b, and 3-c shall include .327 Federal Magnum, and any caliber .357 Magnum and greater, provided that a pistol used for taking deer under this section shall be loaded with no more than 6 rounds of ammunition at any time.

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 208:3, wild deer shall not be taken by the use of .22 or smaller caliber rimfire firearm at any time.

I. Notwithstanding any other provisions of rule or law, whenever the executive director shall deem such action necessary to protect the wildlife resources of the state, the executive director shall have the authority to initiate an emergency closure for any season on wildlife for…

I. The executive director shall set the fee pursuant to RSA 206:10, I, for issuance of archery licenses for the following categories: residents 16 years of age or older and nonresidents 16 years of age or older. II. The licensee shall be entitled to hunt wildlife with bow and arr…

A person who has complied with the licensing requirements relative to hunting deer pursuant to RSA 214, shall be issued a license, upon payment of a fee set by the executive director pursuant to RSA 206:10, I, for the following categories: residents 16 years of age or older and n…

The executive director may issue special deer permits to a person licensed with the applicable license to hunt issued under RSA 214, RSA 208:5, or RSA 208:5-a. The executive director shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A relative to fixing the number and sex limitations for wil…

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 208:2, relating to the taking of deer upon islands, the executive director may designate in accordance with this section one or more islands and other designated areas, other than islands, upon which deer may be taken by paraplegics, persons …

I. No person shall knowingly take deer with the aid or by the use of a dog, trap, snare, salt lick, swivel, pivot or set gun. II. No person shall knowingly drive deer by the use of horns, whistles, or other noise-making devices or by the use of an OHRV, snowmobile, aircraft, or o…

I. The executive director of fish and game, with the consent of the commission, may adopt rules under RSA 541-A to allow for the taking of deer by crossbow during the regular firearms season and the regular muzzleloader season, for persons holding a valid firearms or muzzleloader…

I. A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if the person: (a) Knowingly takes wild birds or wild animals between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise. (b) Knowingly uses an artificial light between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise to illuminate, locate, …

I. Any person who deliberately uses an artificial light during the period from September 1 through December 31 to illuminate, jack, locate or attempt to locate wild birds or wild animals shall be guilty of a violation. I-a. The provisions of paragraph I shall not apply to a perso…

I. (a) No person shall knowingly place food for consumption by wild deer if the fish and game department has determined such feeding would be detrimental to the health of the deer population or a threat to public safety. (b) The executive director shall adopt rules pursuant to RS…

I. No person shall possess the carcass or any part of the carcass of wild deer or moose without a registration confirmation number or without the deer or moose tag attached to it except by special permission of the executive director or the executive director's agent. II. Notwith…

Any person who shall steal, take and carry away a deer, bear or any part thereof, of another without permission shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person.