Title XVIII, Fish and Game

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.

In this chapter: I. "Department" means the department of fish and game. II. "Executive director" means the executive director of the department of fish and game. III. "Falconry" means the sport of taking quarry by means of a trained raptor. IV. "Raptor" means a live migratory bir…

No person shall take, or have in possession or under control, or wantonly interfere with or destroy, any nest or eggs of any game birds or protected birds.

No wild bird or bird for which a closed season is provided shall be trapped or snared or, if so taken, possessed. Any trap, snare, or other device in which any bird may be taken is declared to be a public nuisance, and may be summarily destroyed or abated by any person. The provi…

The dead bodies of birds for which a closed season is provided shall not be sold, offered for sale, or possessed for sale, within this state, whether taken within or without the state, except as permitted to duly authorized game breeders.

I. The executive director shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: (a) Establishing seasons and bag limits, and issuing wild turkey permits. (b) Establishing registration stations and registration agent fees for wild turkey. (c) Specifying the methods for taking and…

Any person who violates any provision of RSA 209 shall be guilty of a violation.

Notwithstanding RSA 207:3 or any law to the contrary, the general court recognizes that falconry is a legal means of taking game and a legal basis for keeping otherwise protected raptorial birds.

I. Notwithstanding RSA 207:14 and in accordance with any applicable federal regulations, the executive director may issue falconry permits for the capture and possession of raptors for falconry purposes, raptor propagation, or for salvage or rehabilitation purposes. No person sha…

Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation.

There shall be no open season for spruce grouse, upland plover, ptarmigan, and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura).

Anatidae or waterfowl, including wild ducks and geese; Rallidae or rails, including coot and gallinules; Limicolae or shore birds, including plover, snipe and yellow legs; and Scolopacidae or woodcock are declared to be migratory game birds.

I. A person holding a Vermont resident hunting license which allows the taking of migratory waterfowl and coots, may take migratory game birds, as provided in RSA 209:5, except woodcock and snipe, from the Connecticut River zone, provided the state of Vermont grants the same righ…

I. No person shall hunt, capture, kill, take, possess, buy or sell any migratory game bird or part thereof, except during such time and in such manner and numbers as may be prescribed by regulations promulgated under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, an act of Congress approved July…

The area known as Back Channel, a body of tidal waters between the 2 New Castle bridges, so-called, and Goat Island and Shapleigh Island to the north; and the Wentworth hotel bridges, so-called, to the south; said body of water being bordered by the town of New Castle to the east…

I. The fish and game department shall be exempt from the provisions of RSA 541-A when setting the seasons and bag limits for migratory birds as permitted in RSA 209:6 when federal regulations require that a rule be adopted sooner than permitted by RSA 541-A. Such rules may be ado…

No person shall take or interfere with any Antwerp or homing pigeon having the name of its owner stamped upon its wing or tail, or wearing a ring or leg band with its registered number stamped thereon, or any other distinguishing mark; nor shall any person remove such distinguish…

No person shall hunt, capture, kill, take, possess, buy, or sell any protected bird or part thereof.

A depredation permit is required before any person may kill migratory birds for depredation control purposes. Depredation permit applications for depredation permits shall be submitted to the executive director of the fish and game department and the appropriate special agent in …

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law to the contrary, the hunting of wild birds upon or within 50 feet inland from the shoreline of Back Lake in the town of Pittsburg is hereby prohibited.

No person shall hunt, capture, kill, take, or possess any golden or bald eagle and no person shall molest or disturb the nest or young of any of said birds.

Whoever violates any of the provisions of this subdivision shall be guilty of a violation.

I. No person shall set, arrange or tend any trap upon any land or from the shores of any waters of which he is not the owner or occupant, except such traps as may be placed under water from a boat or canoe or through the ice on any public body of water as defined in RSA 271:20 or…

No person shall set or arrange any trap prior to the first day of the open season for trapping any particular fur-bearing animal.

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a person shall visit his or her traps at least once in each calendar day, provided, however, that a person trapping for beaver through the ice during the open season therefor, shall visit his or her traps once in each 72 hours. Trapp…

No person shall disturb the trap of another, nor take a fur-bearing animal from the trap of another unless an owner shall have complied with the authorization provisions of RSA 210:13. Any person taking a fur-bearing animal from a trap set by another without complying with RSA 21…

A person who sets or causes to be set a bear trap shall build in a suitable manner, and maintain around the same, a railing or guard not less than 3 feet high, and shall post not less than 2 painted signs, with the words "Bear Trap" thereon in letters not less than 3 inches in he…

No person shall set or use at any time any device, the object of which is to discharge a firearm, for the purpose of taking game or fur-bearing animals.

The executive director may adopt rules, under RSA 541-A, relative to the use of snares for the taking of wildlife.

I. Any person causing injury or damage to domestic animals, except for dogs at large pursuant to RSA 466:33, by the aid or use of traps shall be liable to the owner therefor. An injury to a licensed dog at large shall be reported to the town or city listed on the dog's tag, and t…

Any person who violates a provision of this chapter is subject to the following penalties: I. For each offense under RSA 210:1-4 inclusive, and RSA 210:11-14, inclusive, a person shall be guilty of a violation if a natural person, or guilty of a misdemeanor if any other person; a…

No person shall hunt raccoons at night by the use of a rifle, revolver, or pistol larger than .22 caliber long rifle or by the use of shotgun shells carrying shot larger than number 4. Lights may be used to take or attempt to take raccoons, except by use of a light from a motor v…

Notwithstanding any of the general provisions for the expiration of fish and game licenses, any license to trap fur-bearing animals and any license to buy furs under RSA 214:24 shall expire on June 30 of each year.

The executive director of the fish and game department with the approval of the commission may declare an open season or closed season on any fur-bearing animals in any town and county in the state. The executive director may make such other rules as necessary as to lengthening o…

The executive director is authorized to set a season for the taking of fur-bearing animals for nonresident hunters and trappers which may be different from the season established for resident hunters and trappers.

I. The executive director may adopt rules, under RSA 541-A, for the licensure and regulation of wildlife control operators engaged in the practice of the trapping of nuisance animals. Such rules may include, but shall not be limited to: (a) The establishment of license types and …

There is hereby established a program to provide education to the citizens of the state of New Hampshire on the practice of trapping fur-bearing animals as a recognized conservation and management tool as well as a traditional sport avocation. The program shall be established wit…