Feral Pig Hunting in New Hampshire: Permission, Licenses, and Legal Rules
November 7, 2026
Feral pig hunting in New Hampshire works differently from almost every other state. There is no season, no bag limit, and no game status, because the state treats these animals as escaped private property. That means your first call is not to a gun shop but to the people who own the pigs.
The Granite State is the one place in the Northeast with a free-ranging feral pig population, and nearly all of it traces back to a single fenced preserve in Croydon. If you want to hunt these animals legally, you need to understand who owns them, which license you carry, and how the rules differ from ordinary hog hunting in the South. This article walks through each piece in order.
Important Note: Regulations change, and some of the sources used here are older than 2026. Treat this article as a starting point and confirm every detail with New Hampshire Fish and Game before you hunt. The last section explains how.
Can You Hunt Feral Pigs in New Hampshire?
Yes, but only with permission. According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, feral swine have no legal game status and are considered escaped private property that may only be hunted with the property owner’s permission.
In practice, that owner is usually the Blue Mountain Forest Association, which runs Corbin Park in Croydon. The state says permission is required to hunt free-ranging boar that escape from that property. Fish and Game adds that permission typically is granted, and that you then need a current regular New Hampshire hunting license and must hunt within legal hunting hours.
A common question is whether you can simply shoot a pig that wanders onto your land. The answer is more nuanced, and the sections below cover private land, nuisance animals, and the rules that apply when a pig is damaging your property.
Feral Pig Status and Classification in New Hampshire
New Hampshire does not manage feral pigs as wildlife. Fish and Game notes that since 1949 feral swine have been defined as animals “Running at Large” under RSA 467:3, which is the same legal category as escaped livestock.
The Valley News reported in November 2025 that an advisory opinion from the state Attorney General’s Office holds that boar outside the park are technically park property and cannot be shot without management’s permission. The same article notes that the park is happy to have free-ranging boar hunted and eliminated, but that the opinion helps officials tell poached park animals from legitimate free-ranging pigs.
The animals themselves are wild boar-type swine. The Keene Sentinel reports that some look like traditional wild boar because the park’s founder imported Russian boars for hunting. New Hampshire Fish and Game’s reporting guidance describes feral swine as an invasive species that can transmit as many as 30 pathogens and 37 parasites, as noted on the state’s feral swine reporting page.
| Question | Answer in New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Game animal? | No, legal game status does not apply |
| Legal category | Escaped private property, “Running at Large” under RSA 467:3 |
| Typical owner | Blue Mountain Forest Association (Corbin Park, Croydon) |
| Regulating agency for hunting | New Hampshire Fish and Game (license and hours); landowner (permission) |
Feral Pig Hunting Season Dates or Year-Round Rules in New Hampshire
There is no feral pig season. Because the animals have no game status, no opening or closing dates apply, and the Keene Sentinel confirms there is no hunting season and no limit on the number of animals that can be taken.
That does not mean you can hunt at any hour. Fish and Game requires you to hunt within legal hunting hours, so check the sunrise-to-sunset framework in the state’s current rules before heading out. Night hunting is not a loophole here.
If you plan to combine a pig hunt with other seasons, review the hunting laws in New Hampshire and the deer hunting season in New Hampshire. Firearm deer season brings more hunters, more blaze orange, and tighter landowner attitudes toward access.
License and Permit Requirements for Feral Pig Hunting in New Hampshire
You need a valid New Hampshire hunting license, and you need landowner permission on top of it. Fish and Game does not sell a special feral pig tag or permit, so a regular license is the requirement.
An older state-by-state summary from Hogman Outdoors listed resident licenses at $22 and non-resident licenses at $103, but that page is dated and fees change. Verify current prices before you buy. Our guide to hunting license requirements in New Hampshire covers the current license types, hunter education, and where to purchase.
There is one notable exception. Reporting in the Brattleboro Reformer quotes the state’s wildlife chief saying a hunting license is not needed if a feral pig is rooting through your garden, because people have the right to protect their personal property from animal damage. That applies to your own property, not to hunting trips on someone else’s land.
Pro Tip: Get permission in writing or save the text or email. Given the Attorney General’s advisory opinion, a documented yes helps you show that a pig you took was a legal free-ranging animal and not a poached park animal.
Bag Limits and Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in New Hampshire
New Hampshire sets no bag limit on feral pigs. The Keene Sentinel reports that there is no season and no limit on how many animals can be hunted, and older state-by-state summaries say the same.
Fish and Game has also said in the past that hunters do not have to register these animals, which means the state keeps no harvest count. That makes your reports to wildlife officials more valuable, not less.
Because the pig is private property rather than wildlife, ask the owner what they want done with the carcass. Some owners want the animal reported or sampled for disease surveillance. USDA Wildlife Services asks that swine mortalities be reported quickly so blood and tissue samples can be collected.
Legal Weapons and Hunting Methods for Feral Pigs in New Hampshire
The sources I reviewed do not list a separate weapons rule for feral swine. In practice, you should follow New Hampshire’s general hunting regulations for firearms, archery equipment, and hunting hours, and ask the landowner whether they have preferences or restrictions.
Older summaries note that baiting on private land is handled by general baiting regulations, and that landowners placing bait must still meet those rules. Because bait rules differ for different species and change over time, confirm the current baiting language with Fish and Game before you set up a site.
Method matters for effectiveness too. Fish and Game staff have described boar as small and quick to bolt at unfamiliar sounds or scent, according to hunter discussions on the Northeast Shooters forum, so plan on still-hunting, tracking in snow, or sitting near rooting sign. Pigs leave rooting, wallows, and tree rubs, and their hoofprints look like deer tracks that are rounder and more splayed.
- Hunt only within legal hunting hours.
- Carry your license and written permission.
- Confirm any baiting, firearm, or archery rules with Fish and Game.
- Wear blaze orange when required during firearm seasons for other species.
Private Land and Public Land Feral Pig Hunting Rules in New Hampshire
Everything starts with private land. Since feral swine are escaped property, you need the owner’s permission whether you are on the Corbin Park side of the fence line, on neighboring farmland, or on a woodlot in Croydon, Plainfield, Cornish, or Grantham.
The Blue Mountain Forest Association owns the pigs, but the land they roam belongs to many different owners. That creates two permissions to track: the pig owner’s consent to take the animal, and the landowner’s consent to be on the property.
Public land is murkier. The sources do not describe a special feral pig rule for state forests or national forest land, and the pigs remain private property wherever they are. If you are considering public ground, call Fish and Game first. For other species and seasons, see the guides on bear hunting season in New Hampshire and turkey hunting season in New Hampshire.
Corbin Park itself is a different matter. It is a private, fenced preserve, and entering it to hunt without authorization is trespass. The Valley News notes that poachers occasionally break through the fence and shoot boar inside, which is exactly what the permission rule is meant to discourage.
Transport, Release, and Live Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in New Hampshire
Do not release, relocate, or keep live feral pigs without clearing it with the proper authorities. The sources I found do not spell out a transport statute for feral swine, but the legal framework points one direction: the animals belong to someone, and illegal introductions are a main reason the species keeps spreading.
New Hampshire Fish and Game’s feral swine page says natural range expansion and illegal introductions, combined with the animal’s adaptability, drive the continued spread. Moving a live pig is the fastest way to start a new problem population.
Keeping a wild animal as a pet is also risky. The Valley News recounts a 1980s case in which a Croydon couple was cited for keeping a wild boar on their property without a permit. A judge noted that state law does not distinguish between wildlife raised in captivity and a pet, though the animal was ultimately allowed to stay. Do not count on a similar outcome.
Common Mistake: Treating a captured piglet as a rescue or a pet. A live pig is regulated property and a disease risk, and you could face citations for possessing it without authorization.
Where to Hunt Feral Pigs or Report Sightings in New Hampshire
The pigs are concentrated in the southwest. Mark Ellingwood of Fish and Game told the Brattleboro Reformer in an older report that roughly 100 to 200 free-ranging feral swine lived in Sullivan, Grafton, and Cheshire counties, while a more recent Keene Sentinel piece cited about 500 animals statewide, with around 10 confirmed Cheshire County sightings over three years. Those figures are estimates from different periods, so treat them as rough.
The Keene Sentinel also reports that Corbin Park covers about 24,000 acres in Croydon and surrounding towns. Fish and Game says the animals are limited in number and hard to find without local knowledge, so scouting and landowner relationships matter more than gear.
If you spot a pig or sign, report it. The state’s reporting page asks you to contact USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services right away with sightings or possible sign. USDA Wildlife Services also works with Fish and Game on disease surveillance, which is why sightings and mortalities are worth reporting even when you are legally entitled to take the animal.
How to Confirm Current Feral Pig Regulations With New Hampshire’s Wildlife Agency
Start with the source. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s hunting FAQ page answers the feral boar question directly and is the best place to check for wording changes. The department’s feral swine page covers classification and USDA Wildlife Services contacts.
Because the legal situation rests partly on an Attorney General advisory opinion and a decades-old statute, ask a conservation officer how it applies to your exact situation. Describe the town, the landowner, and the date you plan to hunt, and get the answer in writing if you can.
- Read the Fish and Game feral swine and hunting FAQ pages.
- Call the regional Fish and Game office for the area you plan to hunt.
- Contact the Blue Mountain Forest Association or the local landowner for permission.
- Check your license status and general hunting rules using our New Hampshire hunting laws overview.
- Report sightings and harvests to USDA Wildlife Services.
If you hunt other game in the state, our guides to duck hunting laws in New Hampshire and the best hunting dog breeds may help you plan the rest of your season. For a look at how another state handles a pest species, see the rules for coyote hunting laws in Minnesota.