New Hampshire Shotgun Season for Turkey Opens October 10
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reminds hunters that the Granite State’s seven-day fall turkey shotgun season runs October 10–16, 2022.
Purchase of a New Hampshire hunting license for those ages 16 or older, and a turkey permit for all hunters regardless of age, allows for the harvest of two turkeys per year, one of which may be a male or a female turkey taken during the fall.
Shooting hours for the fall season begin one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunset. All New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) rules and regulations associated with the state’s fall turkey season remain in effect, and hunters will continue to have the option of registering harvested birds either in person or online. Regardless of registration method, hunters must tag their turkey immediately upon harvest and register it within 24 hours.
Check Station Registration: It is recommended that hunters contact their local registration stations to determine if the location is registering birds during the fall season. For a list of registration stations in New Hampshire visit https://wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/deer-check-stations.html.
Online Registration: If birds are not registered in person, they must be registered online within 24 hours of take. To expedite online registration, hunters must have a reliable internet connection and should have the following information readily available:
Hunting/turkey license information
License plate number of the vehicle used while hunting
Town and Wildlife Management Unit where the turkey was harvested
Sex of the bird
Age of the bird (adult vs. juvenile)
Weight of the bird (to the nearest 1/4 pound)
Beard length (to the nearest 1/4 inch)
Spur lengths (to the nearest 1/16 inch)
Successful online registration will result in the generation of a confirmation number upon completion. Hunters must retain a copy of this verification as proof that their turkey was legally registered online by saving a digital version or printing a copy. Accurately entered registration data is imperative because the information is used by wildlife biologists and conservation officers who depend upon its accuracy. To register turkeys online, and for tips on how to age, weigh, and measure birds, visit https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/turkey-reg.html.
Of the 18 New Hampshire Wildlife Management Units (WMU) in the state, 11 are open to the fall shotgun season including WMUs D2, G, H1, H2, I1, I2, J1, J2, K, L, and M. For a detailed map visit www.wildnh.com/hunting/turkey-season.html.
The fall shotgun season was extended from five to seven days in 2016 to include two weekend days and provide increased hunting opportunity. New Hampshire also offers a fall archery season for turkey from September 15 to December 15 in Wildlife Management Units B through M (ends December 8 in WMU A). Turkey hunters who harvested two birds during the spring season forfeit their chance to take a bird during the statewide fall archery and shotgun seasons.
Hunters should be aware of the recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), recently detected in Granite State waterfowl. HPAI is a virus that occurs mainly in wild birds, but typically does not cause high mortality. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n (CDC) considers HPAI a low risk to people. The main risk of the virus is to domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys, quail, and ducks. The HPAI virus has been detected in a number of states this year, including New Hampshire. The virus was first identified in the state in samples taken as part of routine waterfowl monitoring by NHFG and tested by the US Department of Agriculture Animal (USDA) and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). To date, no wild turkeys have tested positive for HPAI in New Hampshire. Turkey hunters, however, are encouraged to take extra precautions against HPAI and other diseases including:
Do not harvest or handle birds that are obviously sick or found dead.
Dress and dispose of game birds in an area away from domestic birds.
Where rubber gloves when field dressing your bird.
Wash hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based sanitizer after handling wild birds.
Use dedicated tools for processing wild birds, or clean and disinfect tools that may also be used around domestic birds.
Disinfect tools using a freshly mixed chlorine solution consisting of 1/3 cup of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.
Avoid cross-contamination. Keep uncooked game in a separate container away from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
Cook game meat thoroughly. Poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165°F to kill disease organisms and parasites.
To learn more about HPAI, visit Avian Influenza | Wildlife | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (state.nh.us).
To learn more about turkey hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/turkey.html.
