The fall hunting season is now underway across the state. Starting Friday, hunting is open for black bears, Canada geese and gray squirrels. Deer and turkey season begins later this autumn.
New Hampshire Fish and Game officials have set a target population for black bears at just under 5,000. This year, they estimate there are more than 6,000 in the state. That means hunting restrictions will be fairly liberal -- good odds for those heading out to the woods.
Bears made statewide headlines this spring when Governor Chris Sununu personally intervened to save a mother bear and three cubs in the Hanover area. The animals had entered a home in town, seeking food, and were slated to be killed by Fish and Game.
Overall, though, bear-human conflicts have been down this year, likely due to a good crop of summer berries.