More NH hunting questions...

[vellnueve]

I picked up my non-resident license today.

Can anyone give me some suggestions for public/state land in a rifle-friendly area (I guess the northern parts of NH) that are easy to get to?

This is my first time hunting and I plan to go alone probably on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

How do you get a deer back to the car without getting it all cruddy? A tarp?

Where do you get them processed into meat?

 

[dixidawg]

NH is a BIG place with lots of places to hunt. It really depends on what you are looking for. Generally, all of NH is open to hunting unless posted otherwise.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm


I'd say first need to decide what your game plan will be.

How far do you want to drive?

What type of country do you want to hunt in? The mountain areas can be pretty tough going, but there's generally lots of room.

Do you want to hunt in a place with the best odds of seeing a deer?
If so, look for places with higher harvest numbers to increase your odds:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/deer_hunt_take.htm


Do you want to hunt in relative solitude? Head north of the notches. Probably less hunters. Less deer too, but the deer that you do find will likely be bigger.

Lots of good info including some where to hunt links here:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm#where


As for getting the deer to the truck. Bring a stout rope and plan on working up a sweat. The real work begins once the deer is down. Field dress. Attach rope. Drag. Keep on dragging. Drag some more. Repeat. By the time you get back to the car, you will swear you will never hunt that far from your truck again


Butchers:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/NH_butchers.htm

Also stop in any of the small stores and they will have bulletin boards with ads for local small time butchers. If you prefer someone in Mass, I know some I can personally recommend on the North Shore.

 

[vellnueve]

I think I'd opt for a place that's a little more flat. I'm not a big guy and dragging a deer a long way through mountainous terrain doesn't sound that great an idea. I don't plan to stray more than a mile or so from the van anyway because, as sissy as it sounds, without a GPS I'm not 100% sure I'd be able to find my way back.

I'm not like insanely concerned about actually getting a deer, I just want to go, have some fun, and hopefully end up with some jerky/meat at the end of the day. That said, if I can find an area that allows rifles and isn't too mountainy, of course I'd rather go to an area with more deer.

I'll be sure to pick up a strong rope or three and maybe a strong tarp to drag it on. Field dressing should be fairly simple... Maybe I should practice more on those cadavers during gross anatomy lab...

 

[Martlet]

I think I'd opt for a place that's a little more flat. I'm not a big guy and dragging a deer a long way through mountainous terrain doesn't sound that great an idea. I don't plan to stray more than a mile or so from the van anyway because, as sissy as it sounds, without a GPS I'm not 100% sure I'd be able to find my way back.

I'm not like insanely concerned about actually getting a deer, I just want to go, have some fun, and hopefully end up with some jerky/meat at the end of the day. That said, if I can find an area that allows rifles and isn't too mountainy, of course I'd rather go to an area with more deer.

I'll be sure to pick up a strong rope or three and maybe a strong tarp to drag it on. Field dressing should be fairly simple... Maybe I should practice more on those cadavers during gross anatomy lab...

Why not in MA?

 

[vellnueve]

#1, more places to go with rifle in NH. #2, I don't feel like giving money to the Massachusetts government. #3, I can CCW in NH. #4, Gives me an excuse to stop by new gun stores for ammo and accessories. #5, The more Massachusetts drivers that get struck by deer, the safer we'll be on the roads.