UncleNorby

Here's a thought. In NH, there is a system whereby landowners can receive a tax break by putting their land into a "current use" land tax classification. There are 2 tiers, and the one that gives the higher tax break requires that the land is open to the public for recreation.

If you go to a town hall, you can request to see the tax records. If you ask, there may be a fast way to ID the properties in that classification. Those properties are open to hunting. That doesn't mean an owner can't refuse you, if for instance he already allows a bunch of hunters, but that should be a way to find land for hunting.

It may surprise you to see how many of those lands are posted "No Hunting".

MKMGOBL

I've stopped at farms and landowners in the middle of the gun season and have got permission to hunt before. How you ask and how you conduct yourself is more important than what time of the year it is. I'm not saying that anyone is wrong by putting a time limit on when they like to ask permission! Just don't go saying that it too late and disrespecttful to ask into the season. The only time limit everyone should put on asking for permission is, in the mornings and around dinner time. Nobody like getting up when they don't have to and nobody likes to be disturbed durning dinner time! You just need to smart about it!

jbacon

There is actually a fair amount of open land in the greater Nashua area if you know where to look. Here are a few spots in Nashua.

1. Behind the Nashua airport (usually pretty heavily hunted, but a few deer a year are taken here). There are actually a few small woodlots on the Nashua / Hollis line that hold deer.

2. Down behind the Sheraton Tara. Someone took a big buck out of here 3 years ago, not much hunters.

3. On the southern edge of Nashua, along the Pepperell / Nashua line there are a few small woodlots also.

4. On the Hollis / Nashua line on Pine Hill Rd, there are two decent sized woodlots. The one right before the farm / orchard (can't remember the farm's name) produces some nice deer, and the farmers like having you there to keep the deer population low. Gets a fair amount of pressure.

Go buy a copy of DeLorme's Topo Atlas for the state and look up the list of WMA's (Wildlife Management Areas). Almost all the WMAs in NH are open to hunting, and there are a fair amount in the southern portion of the state.

One of the closest WMAs to Amherst is going to be Milford Fish Hatchery - A fair amount of public land open for hunting.

Go to NH Fish & Game's website http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/ and d/l the 2003 Wildlife Harvest report. It tells you how many deer were killed in each town last year.

Amherst - 44 (24 bucks)
Nashua - 19 (14 bucks)
Hudson - 47 (21 bucks)

Londonderry isn't that far and it has a pretty good amount of deer and open areas for hunting.

Good Luck!
JBacon - deer, birds, and small game, I hunt it all.

jbacon

In Amherst you may want to check out Joe English reservation - Don't know if they allow hunting, but I believe so.

http://granitweb.sr.unh.edu/clv_phase1/viewer.jsp will let you view all the WMA's and conservation use land in the state.

Good Luck!
JBacon