New Hampshire's muzzleloader deer-hunting season opens Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 10, according to the Fish and Game Department's 2026 season schedule.
Muzzleloaders are firearms loaded from the front of the barrel. Their 11-day deer season comes immediately before the regular firearms season, which starts Nov. 11.
The statewide schedule is a starting point. Hunters must also check rules for their wildlife management unit, the geographic areas the state uses to set hunting limits. Rules on which deer may be taken vary by area.
Fish and Game directs hunters to the New Hampshire Hunting and Trapping Digest for season dates, bag limits and check-station information.
The department also recommends blaze orange for people spending time outdoors during hunting season. That advice applies to hikers and other visitors as well as hunters.