Surprising NH Hunting Common Law May Have You Putting Up Angry Signs

It's hunting season for Spring Gobblers, a/k/a wild turkeys, here in NH, according to NH Fish and Game.  I'm sure that you've seen wild turkeys in fields, on the side of the road, in our yards, etc.  They are all over the place.  Yesterday, I was sitting in my office and I saw two wild turkeys strutting on by my window.

A Hunter Can Hunt on Private Land in NH if It's Not Posted

It was surprising to me that a hunter can hunt on land if there is no sign permitting him to do so.  NH Fish and Game recommends, however, that you get permission of the landowner.

Here's Why Hunter's Can Hunt on Private Land

The NH Fish and Game says it's because of Common Law.  From their website:

Common law in New Hampshire gives the public the right of access to land that's not posted. You won't find that in state law books, because it is common law, going back to the philosophy of New England's early colonists and supported over the centuries by case law. Our forefathers knew the importance of balancing the need for landowners' rights with that of the public good. On one hand, the landowner can make decisions about his or her land. On the other hand, the public should have limited rights to use and enjoy that land. The colonists held similar democratic notions about rivers, lakes, fish and wildlife.

 

Male Wild Turkeys Can Be Aggressive

According to my friend and colleague, Aaron Lapierre, "Those birds are evil."  Aaron, a/k/a Forest Ranger Train, says that this is mating season for the birds, so they puff out their feathers like that paper centerpiece you see on Thanksgiving.  (I checked his info and he's right.  April/May is mating and nesting season for these beauties.