N.H. Code Admin. R. Fis 301.06 – Bear Season

(a) Wild black bear shall be taken only in the places and during the times set forth in Table 300.1 below by means of:
1. (1) Firearms of a size larger than .22 caliber rimfire;
2. (2) Crossbow or bow and arrow meeting the minimum requirements of Fis 301.041;
3. (3) A shotgun loaded with a single ball; or
4. (4) Muzzleloaders not less than .40 caliber.
(b) Except as provided in RSA 207:7-a, bear shall not be taken by a bow, crossbow, or firearm while the person is in or on a motorized vehicle.
(c) For purposes of this section the state shall be divided into wildlife management units, as described in Fis 301.02.
(d) No person shall take a bear with the aid and use of bait except as provided by, and in accordance with, RSA 207:3-d, Fis 307.01, Fis 307.02, and Table 300.1 below.
(e) Dogs may be used for taking bear only in the places and during the times set forth in Table 300.1 below:
Table 300.1
Open Season Dates for the Taking of Wild Black Bear in 2025 and 2026
Wildlife Management Unit
Without Aid of Bait or Dogs
With Aid of Bait
With Aid of Dogs
A
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
B
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
C1
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
C2
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
D1
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
D2
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
E
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
F
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
G
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
H1
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
H2
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
None
I1
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
I2
9/01/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/10/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
J1
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
J2
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 10/05/2025
9/01/2026 to 10/05/2026
9/22/2025 to 11/11/2025
9/21/2026 to 11/10/2026
K
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
None
L
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
None
M
9/01/2025 to 11/30/2025
9/01/2026 to 11/30/2026
9/01/2025 to 9/28/2025
9/01/2026 to 9/28/2026
None
(f) In accordance with RSA 208:22, III, dogs shall not be run from bait for the purpose of taking bear after the first day of September.
(g) Wild black bear may be taken by the aid and use of not more than 6 dogs, after obtaining a permit pursuant to Fis 1102.12.
(h) Training of bear dogs shall be in accordance with Fis 305.02.
(i) In addition to the requirements in RSA 207:3-e, no person shall use telemetry equipment to track or locate bear dogs within 300 feet of a building occupied as a person's principal place of abode.
(j) Licensed guides may guide for taking bear during the open season as specified in Fis 301.06(c), Fis 301.06(d), and Fis 301.06(e). The person licensed for guiding shall, prior to guiding, obtain from the department a permit to guide bear hunters. There shall be a limit of 50 permits per season to guide for taking bear as specified in Fis 1102.06.
(k) Each licensed guide who has been issued a permit to take a bear as described in Fis 1102.06 shall be issued 6 “Guided Bear Transportation Tags” described in Fis 1102.07, subject to the following:
1. (1) All bear taken by hunters through the assistance of a licensed guide shall be tagged with both the hunter’s bear tag and a “Guided Bear Transportation Tag” from the guide who assisted the hunter;
2. (2) Section A of the “Guided Bear Transportation Tag” shall be signed by the hunter and securely affixed to the carcass of the bear immediately upon killing the bear;
3. (3) Section A of the “Guided Bear Transportation Tag” shall remain attached to the bear carcass or parts thereof until such time as the bear has been tagged by a New Hampshire conservation officer, fish and game personnel, or registration agent authorized by the director pursuant to paragraph (p) below;
4. (4) Section B of the “Guided Bear Transportation Tag” shall be completely filled out and retained by the guide for their records; and
5. (5) ”Guided Bear Transportation Tags” shall be used to tag only those bears taken by clients of the guide to whom the tags were issued and shall be non-transferable between guides.
(l) No bear shall be taken without the appropriate bear tag.
(m) Immediately upon killing a bear, the licensee shall fill in the appropriate bear tag, sign the tag, and attach the tag to the bear.
(n) The bear tag shall contain the following:
1. (1) The licensee’s name and street address;
2. (2) The date and time of kill; and
3. (3) The wildlife management unit in which the kill occurred.
(o) A bear registration station shall be allowed if:
1. (1) The proposed location has adequate facilities and is easily accessible. “Adequate facilities and easily accessible” means that the location has adequate space for parking and registering or weighing bear, is a safe distance away from the highway or road, and is located on or near a main route of travel for hunters;
2. (2) The hours of operation and location of the proposed station will minimize inconvenience to hunters needing to register a bear by being open during early morning, later into the evening, and open on weekend days; and
3. (3) The applicant shall not have been convicted of any fish and game violation within the past 7 years.
(p) Bear registration agents shall provide the following information on a “Bear Registration Station Agreement”:
1. (1) The station owner or operator’s name;
2. (2) Date of agreement;
3. (3) Name, physical address, mailing address, county, and telephone number of the establishment;
4. (4) The owner or operator’s home address and telephone number; and
5. (5) The hours and days of operation of the proposed registration station.
(q) The bear registration station owner, operator, and employees shall print legibly, accurately, and completely when filling out the bear registration form described in Fis 301.05.
(r) The bear registration station owner or operator shall sign the agreement in the presence of a witnessing department staff member, who shall also sign the agreement.
(s) Registration station agreements shall not be transferable upon change of ownership and shall not be assigned to any other party.
(t) By signing the agreement, applicants shall agree to abide by the statutes and rules governing bear registration reports and the collection of biological samples and shall sign subject to the penalties for making unsworn false statements under RSA 641:3.
(u) Bear registration agents may collect up to $5.00 as a registration agent fee, pursuant to RSA 208:22, VI-b.
(v) Any person who kills wild bear pursuant to this section shall, within 24 hours, exhibit the whole bear or the following body parts of a bear to a New Hampshire conservation officer, fish and game personnel, or registration agent for tagging with a numbered seal:
1. (1) Entire carcass, skinned or quartered, excluding viscera;
2. (2) Legs and feet;
3. (3) Intact skull;
4. (4) Hide; and
5. (5) Sex organs, including teats from females so that a positive sex determination can be made.
(w) At the time of tagging, the conservation officer, fish and game personnel, or registration agent shall remove a tooth from such bear and record other information as specified in Fis 301.05.
(x) If requested, any person who kills a wild black bear shall be required to take fish and game personnel back to the kill site, the site of carcass evisceration, or both for purposes such as verification of kill site or to obtain required biological samples left behind.
(y) Beginning with the 2024 bear season, no person shall take more than 2 wild black bear in a calendar year, as follows:
1. (1) One bear shall be permitted to be taken statewide; and
2. (2) One bear shall be permitted to be taken only in wildlife management units C1, D2, E, or F.
(z) No person shall take bear by trapping or snaring.
(aa) No person shall possess the carcass or any part of the carcass of a wild black bear without the bear tag or registration seal attached to it or by special permission of the executive director or the executive director’s agent.
(ab) No person shall possess a bear, or any parts of the carcass of a bear given to the person by another, unless each piece or package given to such person is clearly marked or labeled with the date of its receipt and the name and address of the donor.
(ac) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensed hunter who has used their archery or firearm bear tag from accompanying a licensed apprentice hunter or an unlicensed minor under the age of 16, while the apprentice hunter or minor is taking bear.

Source. #3104, eff 8-22-85; amd by #3128, eff 10-1-85; ss by #4116, eff 8-21-86; ss by #4296, eff 7-21-87; ss by #4462, eff 7-29-88; ss by #4663, eff 8-21-89; ss by #4828, eff 6-1-90; amd by #4859, eff 1-1-91; ss by #5198, eff 8-2-91; amd by #5411, eff 6-19-92; amd by #5458, eff 8-28-92; amd by #5660, eff 6-28-93; ss by #5828, eff 5-24-94; amd by #6041, eff 5-18-95; amd by #6193, eff 2-22-96; ss by #6250, eff 5-22-96; ss by #6520, eff 5-31-97; ss by #6783, eff 6-30-98; amd by #7107, eff 9-25-99; ss by #7289, eff 6-1-00; amd by #7427, eff 1-17-01; ss by #7699, eff 6-5-02; ss by #8085, eff 5-26-04; amd by #8249, eff 1-6-05; ss by #8644, eff 6-1-06; amd by #8931, eff 7-6-07; ss by #9163, eff 5-28-08; amd by #9458, eff 4-21-09; amd by #9720-A, eff 6-5-10, paras (a)-(n) & (p)-(t)); amd by #9720-B, eff 6-5-10, (para (o)); amd by #9948-A, eff 6-24-11, (paras (a)-(n) & (p)-(v); amd by #9948-B, eff 6-24-11, (para (o)); ss by #10142, eff 6-5-12; ss by #10619, eff 6-2-14; ss by #10751, eff 1-1-15; ss by #10891, INTERIM, eff 7-17-15, EXPIRED: 1-13-16 New. #11114, eff 6-3-16; amd by #12591, eff 7-25-18; ss by #13211, eff 5-26-21; ss by #13655, eff 6-1-23; ss by #14308, eff 7-10-25; ss by #14494, eff 1-24-26, EXPIRES: 1-24-36