“Youth weekend gives adult hunters the opportunity to pass their knowledge on to the next generation,” said Becky Fuda, the Deer Project leader for New Hampshire Fish and Game, about the hunt the state first established in 1999.
“Mentoring a young person can remind hunters why they started hunting and help preserve these traditions in New Hampshire,” she said. “It can be very rewarding to teach a young hunter to find and track deer and, hopefully, to harvest and field dress one as well.”
Fuda said the prospects for the hunt this year are excellent, pointing to a healthy deer population around the state.
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Last year, young hunters took 249 deer during the weekend, and the harvest of adult bucks over the course of the hunting season was the second-highest on record — at 8,295 deer. Overall, 13,136 deer were harvested in 2023, according to a state report.
Severe cold and snow can have an impact on the deer population, but that wasn’t the case last winter, given the mild temperatures, according to the report. Warmer winters mean the deer population could continue to increase, the report said.
There is no minimum age for youth hunting in New Hampshire, but hunters under 16 must be accompanied by a licensed adult 18 years or older, according to Fish and Game.
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PIctured is Elsie Kilborn, whose family plans to take her on her first youth hunt this year. Jill Kilborn
Jill Kilborn grew up hunting with her dad in northern New Hampshire, and this weekend, she said she plans to take her 11-year-old daughter Elsie on the youth hunt for the first time.
“I think she’s excited,” said Kilborn, who now lives in Island Pond, Vt. “We’ve done a lot of prep. We try and get out and do a lot of shooting with the kids. We try to instill the need for responsibility to ensure you’re doing it in an ethical way.”
Along with her husband Dan Kilborn and her 14-year-old son Jackson, she said the family will participate in Vermont’s youth hunt, which is happening the same weekend.
The family will head to the small dairy farm in Derby, Vt., where Dan Kilborn grew up, which Jill Kilborn said has become a family tradition in the four years her son has been hunting. She recalled being with her son when he shot his first turkey, and the mixed emotions he felt after killing the animal.
“There was a lot of joy right off the bat, but then after that initial joy there’s the feeling of yes, this is serious.Like, we took the life of something, we need to treat it properly,” she said. “It’s a big thing to take the life of an animal. We use every part of it that we can and appreciate the sustenance it’s going to provide.”
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Kilborn said that hunting from a young age shaped her interest in the outdoors and her career, leading her to become a wildlife biologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, where she mostly works with threatened and endangered species.
“It is at the foundation of being connected to the land and to the wildlife around me. It all stems back to the relationship I had with hunting,” she said. Now, she said, she can see her children becoming more connected to the landscape through hunting.
Hunting deer is part of New Hampshire’s management plan, as there are several parts of the state where the deer population is higher than they’d like it to be. Too many deer can have a negative impact on plant and wildlife diversity, as deer can completely remove the shrubs and tree seedlings that they eat, according to PennState College of Agricultural Sciences.
Some question the merits of introducing children to hunting.
“It’s sad because children are born with a natural compassion for animals. That’s why we give them stuffed animals,” said Joan O’Brien, president of the NH Animal Rights League. “I think hunting trains that compassion out of children, and it’s tragic.”
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She said there are plenty of ways for young people to get outside that don’t involve guns or killing anything.
To stay safe during hunting season, Fish and Game recommends people recreating outdoors wear blaze orange to be easily visible to hunters. It’s also recommended to stick to established hiking trails where encountering hunters is less likely. Choose the right time to recreate outside and remember that wildlife, and therefore hunters, are most active at dawn and dusk.
The state also has additional safety recommendations for hunters, including keeping control of firearms at all times. Hunters should also wear safety glasses and always keep track of where their hunting partners are. Hunters are expected to be sure of their target and know what is beyond it, according to the state.
You can keep track of the hunting seasons in the state here.
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Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
Sunflowers are my absolute FAVORITE flowers. I truly feel like they have magical uplifting abilities. Hence, why I’ve always kept fresh sunflowers in my house, brightening up my kitchen table or even my TV stand.
Obviously, it was a dream of mine to have my maternity photos taken in a sunflower field. They reflect sunshine and exude happiness.
Not to mention, one of my favorite quotes is about sunflowers! “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
A beautiful reminder to keep an optimistic outlook on life and not dwell on the negative.
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So, you can imagine the joy I felt when I learned that New Hampshire had its very own Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee!
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
About the Sunflower Festival:
During the summer, the farm transforms into a sea of golden blooms, giving visitors the chance to wander through thousands of sunflowers, snap photos, enjoy local food vendors, artisan crafts, listen to live music, and experience one of New Hampshire’s most beautiful summer traditions.
Other unique activities on the itinerary? Sip-n-snip! Guests can enjoy a cocktail or mocktail of their choice and cut their own fresh bouquet of flowers.
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
Or maybe you’re a yoga fan? You can join a 60-minute sweat session from Lee, New Hampshire yoga instructors right in the heart of the flower field.
And because the farm grows oilseed sunflowers for culinary oil (which they harvest in the fall months), the flowers only stay at their peak for a brief window, making the festival a limited-time experience, according to the festival organizers…
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What makes this event even more special is the reason behind it. The festival started as a way to share the beauty of the sunflower fields, but it has grown into something much bigger. Organizers say the event has raised more than $90,000 for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire over the years and now shares a portion of its proceeds with several local nonprofit organizations serving the Seacoast community.
Anyone who knows me knows that paying it forward is something that’s incredibly important to me. It’s right up there with my love of sunflowers because both fill my cup in the best way. So, when I found out this festival celebrates my favorite flower and gives back to the community, I knew I had to share it.
Sunflower Festival Details:
This festival only runs from Saturday, July 25th until Sunday, August 2nd. You can get the full list of activities and more on the Coppal Farm website.
Daily Field Hours
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10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (last admission at 6PM because fields close at 6:30) Weekend Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free Weekend Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm): $16 per person ages 13 & older $14 per person ages 5-12 $14 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free includes: access to sunflower fields, craft fair, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, farm animals, & live music
Weekday Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $8 per person ages 13 & older $6 per person ages 5-12 $6 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
Weekday Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
What tickets include: Access to sunflower fields, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, and farm animals
READ MORE: A Classic Fairy Tale Comes To Life At Portsmouth’s Prescott Park This Summer
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This festival might just leave you smiling long after you leave the fields!
What Flowers Thrive in New England
See what flowers thrive in New England weather: Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Gallery Credit: Logan
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering Locally Grown Strawberries
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering PYO Strawberries
Ed. Note: If this was you and you are interested, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP.
“Dear PoPville,
I was biking home from a doctor appointment a little before noon on Friday, and stopped at a red light on New Hampshire & L st nw. There was a woman across the street who was looking fine in her dark blue (I think they were) scrubs. I might be crazy, but it felt like we kept checking each other out. By the third time,
if we were in a romcom, one of us would have waved. Sorry I didn’t, but if you are reading this and date men, reach out to the Prince if you are interested in that man on the bike. Have a great weekend!”
Ed. Note: If this is you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. PoPville is not affiliated with either party, please proceed with any potential connection at your own risk using caution as you would any online encounter. For those curious about past missed connections, many have been made and when possible I’ll try to update when/if more are made.
A New Hampshire motorcyclist who had been missing since the Fourth of July was found dead in Shelburne late Thursday night.
State police say they received a request from the Berlin Police Department just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday for help locating 41-year-old Wesley Grondin — the Berlin man was last seen riding his motorcycle on Saturday, July 4, and had been reported missing.
Troopers received a call a couple of hours later, around 10:10 p.m. Thursday, from a concerned resident who had been out looking for Grondin along Route 2 in Shelburne. The person told police they had found Grondin dead, along with his Harley Davidson.
According to state police, a preliminary investigation determined that Grondin was riding his Harley on Route 2 westbound in Shelburne when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he crossed over into the opposing lane, struck a post, and came to a final rest in the wood line.
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The crash is believed to have occurred just before midnight on July 4. At this time, police say there’s no indication that another vehicle or person was involved.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact Trooper Hunter Newsham at Hunter.P.Newsham@dos.nh.gov.
