Autumn hunting is about to start up in New Hampshire with the opening of black bear, gray squirrel and Canada goose season on Labor Day, followed by the more popular archery seasons for turkey and white-tailed deer two weeks later.

Although hunting is much less common than it used to be — the number of licensed hunters in the state has fallen by about half since its peak in the late 1980s — the pastime is still a big part of life here.

New Hampshire has sold almost 73,000 hunting licenses in the past year, according to the Department of Fish and Game, and a 2024 study by the Sportsmen’s Alliance estimated that hunting is responsible for about 2,000 jobs and contributes $182 million annually to the state’s economy. Hunting licenses make up a major portion of the income for state Fish and

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