There might be a business trip to southern New Hampshire in my future. I would be there during the last week in September and could hunt the first weekend of October (1st and 2nd) if there is something to chase. Do any of you New Englanders have recommendations regarding hunting up there at that time of year? I'm open to anything that is reasonably priced, like whitetail, bear, grouse, waterfowl, etc. It looks like southern Maine would be a fairly short drive if there's something there.

Thanks for any input.

I'm afraid you're out of luck if you want to chase WTD. Bear is open, but I strongly doubt that you'll be able to nail one with only 2 days to burn and no knowldege of the state (I'm making an assumption here). Moose isn't open then yet, and even if it were, you need a lottery drawn tag. There are definitely small game possibilities available, however, if that floats your boat. See

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

for more info. If you let me know what part of state you're going to be in, I may be able to provide more input for you. Seems to me with your time available, and acting on my other assumption that you're going to be in the southern portion of the state, I'd probably advise fishing instead, maybe with some small game shooting or something. Lots of excellent fresh water fishing is also available, and striped bass are normally running the coast south on their migration at around that time, and that can be fun.

Anyway, NH can be great, but with the timing and stay you're talking about, I wouldn't hold my breath for any real serious hunting.

HTH,

Leighton

Leighton, that's kinda what I figured, but it never hurts to ask. If this assignment comes through, we'll be in Manchester. I like the fishing idea - hadn't really thought of that. Some stripers would be a nice diversion. I also bumped into some information on grouse. I love to hunt birds, so maybe that's not a bad idea either if I could find place. I know it's short notice, these things always. I just thought I'd throw the question out there to see what's going on that time of year.

Thanks for the input. Is there public fishing available that a non-resident can take part in, or is this a guided affair? I've never been to New England, so everything you tell me is good information. Thanks, Troy

Hi again Troy. Manchester's not too far up, so you'll be an easy ride to the water for stripers. No license of any sort req'd for fishing the ocean, so if bass are up your alley, you're in luck. Even a ride down into MA, to the Plum Island area or Cape Ann would be a real nice way to burn some time (bass on the flats, river and oceanside, with some lucky ones taking them into the 50 lb range--from shore as well as out on boats). There are plenty of DIY opportunities, esp if you have a headstart (you got me, so there you go ), but also there are charters for bass, and groundfish, if you like that sort of thing (cod, haddock, wolf fish, etc), and October also happens to be a month where most offshore boys get fired up to take a crack at giants, AKA Giant Bluefin Tuna, which roam offshore and have been taken by folks I know to 900 lbs...Federal NMFS Permit required, however.



And yep on grouse, but the places I'd point you to are north of Manchester by a couple hours, but no big deal, and the ride up I93 through the notch and into the north woods is worth the price of admission alone, IMO. You'll see tons of moose up in the Pittsburg area that week as well; just about a guarantee--before the lucky dogs with tags start filtering them out soon after, anyway. :c)



Small game season kicks off 10/1 in MA too, and if interested, I can certainly offer some help there. I hunt squirrel, rabbit, pheasant (think this might open a bit later in October, though), and fish very seriously as well. And then the waterfowl season opens, and I conmpletely lose my freaking mind and chase them into February, only breaking for some days to chase WTD.



I'm finally moving out of the city myself, and into a NH/MA border town next week, so if waterfowl interests you, I may be able to put you on some early geese--but it won't be until Aug that the specific dates are released anyway.

Keep in touch. Your NH offtime, contrary to what the lack of responses to your post seems to indicate, doens't necessarily have to be boring, or unproductive. :c)



Best,



Leighton

Hey Leighton, thanks again for all the input. Although I'm mostly a hunter, I do like to fish too. I've spent some time on Lake Powell catching the smaller stripers (up to about ten pounds) and really appreciate their fight. I would love to try for them in the northeast as well. I've never fished the ocean, so I'd be up for pretty much any finned critter that there's an opportunity for. I don't know about going way off shore with my time limit, but fishing off the bank or chartering something for the day would be a nice way to get the spray in my face and maybe a fish on the line.

I'm sure I'll have a rental car, so a short drive (in NM anything less than about five hours is a short drive) is not a problem if there's some good scenery, a bit of wildlife, and some hunting at the end of it. I've only seen one moose in Montana, so watching for them would be good fun. I remember eating grouse in Wyoming when I was young - I could go for that again! I can get into waterfowling too. I don't have much opportunity to hunt ducks or geese here in the desert, but I grew up hunting them and still try to make it to my folks place in northern NM for some hunting around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I do appreciate all your information. I was hoping to find something to do. I don't have scheduled down time, as I could arrange the flights to come straight home. It just seems like a waste of my employer's money to fly all the way up there and not spend the weekend (on my own dime) doing something more entertaining than sitting in training for three days. I'll certainly keep in touch and continue to pick your brain as the time approaches. This trip isn't even set in stone yet, so I'm in no hurry to nail something down just yet. If nothing else, it sounds like a day or two driving around seeing the sights would be time well spent.

Thanks,
Troy

>Hey Leighton, thanks again for all the input.

No worries Troy. Always willing to help out a fellow outdoorsman.

>I've never fished the ocean, so I'd be up for >pretty much any finned critter that there's an >opportunity for.

Steaming back into port, with the salty spray in your face and a cooler full of fish hauled out of the depths of the Atlantic is not a bad way to spend a day, I assure you, especially if some lobster is waiting to accompany the meal. But if you do choose to make some of your own seafood meals, I'd be sure to get some dramamine, seeing as you're a landlubber, and your guts may not care for the motion that often comes when we get on the water in October.

>I'm sure I'll have a rental car, so a short >drive (in NM anything less than about five hours >is a short drive) is not a problem if there's >some good scenery, a bit of wildlife, and some ?>hunting at the end of it.

That's entirely do-able. Hereabouts, October days are the glory days, IMO. The vegetation is on fire with color, the air is crisp, the critters are out and the fish are running. Man, I'm making myself anxious just thinking about it.

>It just seems like a waste of my employer's
> money to fly all the way up there and not spend >the weekend (on my own dime) doing something >more entertaining than sitting in training for ?>three days.

I hear you. If the trip gets confirmed, look me up prior and I'll hammer some options out for you to choose from. I won't steer you wrong.

lhonda@acad.suffolk.edu is where to hit me.

Best,

Leighton