NEW HAMPSHIRE
DEER TRACKING

Find licensed blood tracking dog teams and wounded-deer recovery help across the Granite State.

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TRACKING LAWS* FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Know the rules before you track. These New Hampshire laws help ensure ethical recovery, respect for landowners, and the future of our hunting rights.

New Hampshire allows licensed handlers to use leashed tracking dogs to locate wounded or dead deer, moose, and bear. The handler must possess a valid New Hampshire Leashed Tracking Dog License as well as a current New Hampshire firearms hunting license. Both residents and nonresidents may apply for the tracking license.

New Hampshire requires the licensed tracker to report each track to the Fish and Game Department within 24 hours after the tracking activity is completed. Trackers must provide identifying information for the tracker and hunter, the species and general location of the animal, and other required information. Licensed trackers must also submit an annual tracking report by December 31.

A licensed tracker may use no more than two tracking dogs at one time. Each dog must remain under the tracker’s physical control by means of a lead attached to the dog’s collar or harness. New Hampshire’s current rules do not specify a minimum or maximum tracking-lead length.

The hunter who wounded the deer must normally accompany the licensed tracker and remain within sight and hearing of the tracker. An exception exists when the hunter is physically incapacitated, in which case a written authorization must be completed before the track begins.

While tracking wounded or dead big game, the licensed tracker must wear two articles of hunter-orange clothing: a solid hunter-orange hat and a jacket, vest, coat, or poncho that is at least 50% hunter orange and covers a major portion of the torso.

New Hampshire expressly allows licensed trackers to follow wounded big game during the day or at night and with or without artificial light. Tracking may continue during the applicable open season and until midnight on the day immediately following the final day of that season. Outside legal hunting hours, only the licensed tracker may dispatch the wounded animal, and the tracker must use a handgun of at least .35 caliber in accordance with state law.

New Hampshire’s private-land access laws differ from states where permission is required before entering every parcel of private property. Unposted land may generally remain open to recreational access, but posted, fenced, enclosed, or otherwise restricted property may not be entered without authorization. A tracking license does not override landowner restrictions, so hunters and trackers should obtain permission before entering posted property and make every reasonable effort to communicate with neighboring landowners before a recovery crosses a boundary.

Thermal drones should not be used for wounded-deer recovery in New Hampshire. Current Fish and Game Rule Fis 312.02 prohibits using a UAV to locate, surveil, communicate the location of, drive, harass, or otherwise assist in taking wildlife. New Hampshire’s drone rules contain no wounded-game recovery exception comparable to those adopted by states such as Missouri, Louisiana, or West Virginia.

* Disclaimer: The information provided by TRAKR is intended as a general summary of state tracking laws and regulations and is not legal advice. Because laws and regulations may change, hunters and trackers should always verify current statutes, regulations, and agency guidance before using dogs, drones, or other recovery methods in their state.

Deer Tracking Fees in New Hampshire

New Hampshire differs from most states because licensed leashed-dog trackers may not charge for their tracking services. Current Fish and Game Rule Fis 311.02 specifically states that a licensed tracker shall not charge for tracking big game animals.

Because paid tracking fees are prohibited under the current rule, TRAKR does not publish an average paid deer-tracking rate for New Hampshire.

Individual hunters should not assume that gratuities or other forms of compensation are permitted simply because no fixed fee is requested and should verify current Fish and Game guidance regarding any compensation offered to a tracker.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DEER TRACKING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire offers some of the most varied wounded-deer tracking conditions in New England. White-tailed deer inhabit hardwood and mixed forests, agricultural areas, woodland edges, wetlands, brushy openings, river valleys, and suburban habitat throughout much of the state.

Southern New Hampshire generally supports higher deer densities and contains a mixture of hardwood forests, farm fields, wetlands, residential woodlots, and fragmented cover. Farther north, hunters encounter larger expanses of forest, rugged terrain, spruce and fir cover, wetlands, logging country, and lower deer densities.

The White Mountains and northern portions of the state can create particularly difficult recovery conditions. Steep slopes, rocky terrain, dense evergreen cover, large forest blocks, water crossings, and comparatively long distances between roads can turn a seemingly straightforward blood trail into a demanding recovery.

A licensed tracking dog gives hunters another recovery option when conventional blood trailing fails, while New Hampshire’s regulatory system provides specific procedures for nighttime tracking, artificial light, dispatch, and reporting.

New Hampshire Tracking Dog Regulations

New Hampshire’s wounded-game tracking program is authorized by RSA 207:12-c — Use and Training of Leashed Tracking Dogs and administered through Fis 311 of the New Hampshire Fish and Game rules.

Why New Hampshire Allows Tracking Dogs

New Hampshire recognizes that using a controlled dog to recover a specific wounded deer is different from allowing dogs to freely pursue healthy deer.

The New Hampshire Legislature established the leashed tracking-dog program through legislation enacted in 2006, with the law taking effect January 1, 2007. RSA 207:12-c authorized the Fish and Game Department to establish licensing, tracking, notification, possession, and recovery procedures for wounded deer, moose, and bear.

New Hampshire maintains significant control over the practice by requiring licensed handlers, physical control of the dogs, hunter participation, hunter-orange clothing, track reporting, and strict procedures for nighttime dispatch.

Certification and Training

New Hampshire requires handlers to obtain a Leashed Tracking Dog License, but the current rules do not require the handler or dog to pass a state-administered blood-tracking examination.

Applicants must possess a current New Hampshire firearms hunting license, submit the state tracking-license application, and pay the annual $50 fee. Both residents and nonresidents may obtain the license. Dogs used for tracking must also be properly licensed under applicable New Hampshire dog laws.

Some New Hampshire handlers may voluntarily participate in blood-tracking tests, seminars, or educational programs offered by United Blood Trackers, the American Blood Trackers Association, breed organizations, or private tracking programs.

Because the state does not require a performance test for the dog, hunters may also want to consider a team’s experience, number of completed tracks, service area, availability, equipment, and the experience of the individual dog.

Interesting Facts About Tracking in New Hampshire

New Hampshire enacted its leashed wounded-game tracking law in 2006, with the program taking effect in 2007.
The program covers wounded or dead deer, moose, and bear.
A tracker must possess both a current New Hampshire firearms hunting license and a Leashed Tracking Dog License.
Both New Hampshire residents and nonresidents may obtain a tracking license.
New Hampshire regulations expressly state that licensed trackers may not charge for their tracking services.
Thermal-drone wounded-game recovery is not authorized under the state’s current UAV rules.

TRAKR in New Hampshire

At this time, New Hampshire does not have an official statewide TRAKR Network.

Hunters can still use the TRAKR app to submit a tracking request and connect with available New Hampshire-licensed tracking dog handlers who provide service in their area.

If you’re a licensed New Hampshire tracking dog handler interested in helping hunters recover wounded deer, TRAKR is actively expanding across the United States and welcomes experienced recovery teams interested in helping build an official New Hampshire network.

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEER TRACKING