New Hampshire Hunting Laws
New Hampshire's deer/bear rifle rule outside its restricted towns is refreshingly open — no statewide minimum caliber was found for centerfire rifles. What it does regulate closely: a genuine 'smart rifle' ban (no electronically-controlled triggers, target-tracking systems, or ballistics computers), a drone ban, and a patchwork of towns near Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth where rifles aren't legal for deer or moose at all — only shotgun slugs, pistols, muzzleloaders, or archery.
Every rule below cites the official regulation. Last verified August 30, 2026.
At a glance
Check a cartridge in New Hampshire
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Local ordinances apply
A cluster of towns in southeastern New Hampshire (RSA 208:3, 208:3-a, 208:3-b, 208:3-c — Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth and roughly two dozen surrounding towns, plus Chester and Auburn) ban centerfire rifles for deer and moose entirely: only a pistol (.327 Federal Magnum or .357 Magnum and larger, 6-round max — RSA 208:3-d), a shotgun loaded with a single ball (buckshot allowed in most of these towns, but not in Portsmouth/Greenland/Newington/Stratham), a muzzleloading rifle, bow and arrow, or crossbow is legal there.
Sourced rules
Every row cites the controlling regulation and the date we verified it.
Air Gun
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Air rifles for deer/bear must be at least .35 caliber, produce at least 400 ft-lb of muzzle energy, and be charged only from an external high-compression source (hand pump, tank, or compressor) — not a self-contained cartridge.
"Air rifles used for the purpose of take shall be charged from an external high-compression power source and meet the following minimum criteria: (1) Be 0.35 caliber or larger and produce at least 400 foot-pounds of en..." |
Fis 301.041(d)(1) | Aug 2026 |
| Black Bear |
Air rifles for deer/bear must be at least .35 caliber, produce at least 400 ft-lb of muzzle energy, and be charged only from an external high-compression source (hand pump, tank, or compressor) — not a self-contained cartridge.
"Air rifles used for the purpose of take shall be charged from an external high-compression power source and meet the following minimum criteria: (1) Be 0.35 caliber or larger and produce at least 400 foot-pounds of en..." |
Fis 301.041(d)(1) | Aug 2026 |
| Moose |
Air rifles for moose must be at least .45 caliber with at least 400 ft-lb of muzzle energy, same external-power-source requirement as deer/bear.
"Be 0.45 caliber or larger and produce at least 400 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, for taking moose." |
Fis 301.041(d)(2) | Aug 2026 |
All weapons
6 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Roughly two dozen towns in Belknap, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford counties (including Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth), plus Chester and Auburn, ban centerfire rifles for deer entirely. RSA 208:3-d pistols permitted in these towns are .327 Federal Magnum or .357 Magnum and larger, loaded with no more than 6 rounds. RSA 208:3-a (Portsmouth, Greenland, Newington, Stratham) additionally bans loose buckshot, allowing only a single-ball shotgun load. The same town list applies to moose (see the moose rimfire/buckshot rule).
"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 ... in the..." |
RSA 208:3, 208:3-a, 208:3-b, 208:3-c, 208:3-d | Aug 2026 |
| Moose |
Roughly two dozen towns in Belknap, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford counties (including Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth), plus Chester and Auburn, ban centerfire rifles for deer entirely. RSA 208:3-d pistols permitted in these towns are .327 Federal Magnum or .357 Magnum and larger, loaded with no more than 6 rounds. RSA 208:3-a (Portsmouth, Greenland, Newington, Stratham) additionally bans loose buckshot, allowing only a single-ball shotgun load. The same town list applies to moose (see the moose rimfire/buckshot rule).
"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 ... in the..." |
RSA 208:3, 208:3-a, 208:3-b, 208:3-c, 208:3-d | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
New Hampshire bans 'smart rifles' — firearms with target-tracking systems, electronically/computer-linked triggers, or onboard ballistics computers. The executive director can waive this for a hunter with a disability that prevents firing a traditional trigger.
"Smart rifle means any firearm that is equipped with one or more of the following: (1) A target tracking system; (2) An electronically-controlled, electronically-assisted, or computer-linked trigger; or (3) A ballistic..." |
Fis 312.01(b), Fis 312.03(a) | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
Drones can't be used to take game, scout/locate game for a hunt in progress, relay game locations to a hunter on the ground, or haze/drive wildlife.
"No person shall take or attempt to take wildlife by use of a UAV. No person shall use a UAV to: (1) Attempt to locate, surveil, or aid or assist in any attempt to locate or surveil any wildlife, for the purpose of tak..." |
Fis 312.02 | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
New Hampshire's hunter-orange statute is titled 'Recommendation,' not requirement — it uses 'should,' not 'shall,' and carries no penalty. (A tracker recovering wounded big game does have a separate, mandatory 2-article hunter-orange rule under Fis 301.)
"Any person hunting with a firearm or bow and arrow in this state during the hunting season, except for a person legally hunting waterfowl, should wear a hat, vest or other suitable article of clothing of material in t..." |
RSA 207:38-b | Aug 2026 |
| All species | No suppressor/silencer provision appears anywhere in the Fis 300 hunting rules; New Hampshire is commonly reported to allow suppressed hunting, but no rule affirmatively states this. | Fis 300 reviewed in full (no suppressor/silencer provision found) | Aug 2026 needs review |
Muzzleloader
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Muzzleloaders for deer and bear must be single-barrel, single-shot, and at least .40 caliber.
"A muzzleloading firearm shall be a single barrel, single shot firearm of no less than .40 caliber. ... Muzzleloaders not less than .40 caliber." |
Fis 301.03(e)(2); Fis 301.06(a)(4) | Aug 2026 |
| Black Bear |
Muzzleloaders for deer and bear must be single-barrel, single-shot, and at least .40 caliber.
"A muzzleloading firearm shall be a single barrel, single shot firearm of no less than .40 caliber. ... Muzzleloaders not less than .40 caliber." |
Fis 301.03(e)(2); Fis 301.06(a)(4) | Aug 2026 |
| Moose |
Moose muzzleloaders must be at least .45 caliber — a higher floor than deer/bear's .40 caliber.
"A person holding a current moose permit or subpermittee's permit shall only hunt moose with a muzzleloading firearm of not less than .45 caliber." |
Fis 301.07(k) (Moose Season) | Aug 2026 |
Rifle
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer | No minimum caliber was found for deer rifles in the statewide regular firearms season — the rule text (Fis 301.03) regulates season dates, WMU-specific antlered/either-sex days, and buckshot shot size, but sets no caliber or energy floor for rifles. (Bear and moose have their own explicit weapon rules — see those entries. Rifles aren't legal at all for deer in a cluster of towns — see the local-ordinance note.) | Fis 301.03(f)-(i) — Regular (firearms) deer season, reviewed in full | Aug 2026 |
| Black Bear |
Bear firearms must be larger than .22 rimfire — .22 LR/.22 rimfire itself is not a legal bear cartridge, but the rule doesn't otherwise set a caliber floor.
"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) Firearms of a size larger than .22 caliber rimfire" |
Fis 301.06(a)(1) | Aug 2026 |
| Moose |
Moose can't be taken with rimfire firearms of any caliber, or with a shotgun loaded with buckshot (a shotgun firing a single slug is fine).
"No moose shall be taken with rimfire firearms or with shotguns using shot loads including buckshot." |
Fis 301.07(j) (Moose Season) | Aug 2026 |
Shotgun
4 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
When hunting deer with shot (as opposed to a slug), it must be 00 buckshot or larger — ordinary birdshot isn't legal.
"No shell shot, other than those using shot sizes of 00 buckshot or larger, shall be used for the taking of deer." |
Fis 301.03(h) | Aug 2026 |
| Moose |
Moose can't be taken with rimfire firearms of any caliber, or with a shotgun loaded with buckshot (a shotgun firing a single slug is fine).
"No moose shall be taken with rimfire firearms or with shotguns using shot loads including buckshot." |
Fis 301.07(j) (Moose Season) | Aug 2026 |
| Wild Turkey |
Turkey shotguns must be 10–20 gauge with shot #4 or smaller, or 28 gauge/.410 loaded with dense (18 g/cc+) shot sizes #7–9.5 and at least an 18-inch barrel. Rifles aren't a legal turkey method; bow and crossbow are also allowed.
"Shotguns, with the following shot and loads: a. Between 10 and 20 gauge inclusively, with shot size of #4 and smaller, in hunting rather than target loads; or b. 28 gauge and .410, with shot sizes #7 through #9.5, a m..." |
Fis 302.01(j) (Wild Turkey) | Aug 2026 |
| Waterfowl |
Nontoxic shot is required statewide (not just on WMAs) for ducks, mergansers, coots, and geese.
"Non-toxic shot shall be required statewide for the taking of ducks and mergansers. ... Nontoxic shot, as defined in Fis 302.04(g) [sic], shall be required statewide for the taking of coots." |
Fis 302.04(h), Fis 302.05(d) | Aug 2026 |
Federal rules that apply in every state
These federal requirements apply in New Hampshire on top of state law.
Federal law: only USFWS-approved nontoxic shot may be used — or even possessed — while hunting waterfowl, coots, and aggregate-bag species.
50 CFR § 20.21(j)(1)–(3)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds are limited to 3 shells total (magazine + chamber) with a one-piece plug; limited light-goose and September Canada goose season exceptions exist.
50 CFR § 20.21(b)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds may be no larger than 10 gauge.
50 CFR § 20.21(a)
Federal law prohibits taking migratory birds with a rifle, pistol, or fully automatic firearm.
50 CFR § 20.21(a)
On Waterfowl Production Areas and designated National Wildlife Refuge lands, possessing shot other than approved nontoxic shot is prohibited; individual refuges may impose stricter rules.
50 CFR § 32.2(k)
Sources
New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules, Fish and Game Dept. — Fis 300 (Fis 301 Game Animals, Fis 302 Migratory Birds, Fis 312 Drones and Smart Rifles)
New Hampshire Office of Legislative Services / Fish and Game Department · retrieved August 30, 2026
New Hampshire RSA 207:38-b — Hunter Orange Recommendation
New Hampshire Legislature (Office of Legislative Services) · retrieved August 30, 2026
New Hampshire RSA 208:3, 208:3-a, 208:3-b, 208:3-c — Taking; Mode (town-restricted weapon rules for deer)
New Hampshire Legislature (Office of Legislative Services) · retrieved August 30, 2026
New Hampshire RSA 208:3-d — Pistols Permitted
New Hampshire Legislature (Office of Legislative Services) · retrieved August 30, 2026
Sources & methodology
Rules on this page are verified against state statutes, administrative code, official agency regulation digests, and federal regulations — never forums, retailer blogs, or hunter-ed course summaries. Rules we could not yet pin to a primary source are labeled needs review and never produce a green "legal" answer. Cartridge energy figures used by the checker are typical factory-load values; where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, verify your specific load's manufacturer rating.
Legal disclaimer — please read
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Hunting regulations change every season, vary by zone, season, land type, and county ordinance, and are interpreted by the state's enforcement officers — not by this page.
- Confirm every rule in the current official New Hampshire hunting regulations before your hunt.
- Check season dates, license and tag requirements, zone boundaries, and local ordinances — this page covers equipment rules only.
- When in doubt, contact New Hampshire Fish and Game Department directly.
The controlling document is the regulation, not this page. We disclaim all liability for reliance on it.