New Hampshire's regular firearms deer season opened Wednesday, November 11, and runs through December 6, 2026. Archery season continues through December 15.
In Hollis, the land you walk on has several owners. A nonprofit conservation group, a statewide forest society, the state park system and the Town each hold part of it. The trail blazes look about the same everywhere.
The season, in the order it arrives
The deer calendar is already well underway. Youth Deer Weekend was October 24 and 25. Muzzleloader season ran statewide from October 31 to November 10, and firearms season took over the next day. Archery has been open since September 15 and continues into mid-December, so bowhunting season brackets the firearms weeks on both ends.
Four trail areas
| Land | Landholder | Trail information | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Brook Association trails | Beaver Brook Association | Listed as prohibited | Leashed dogs welcome, dawn to dusk |
| Monson Center | Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests | Forest Society guidelines list hunting as allowed, subject to regulations, local laws and postings | A few parking spaces on Adams Road, in front of the gate |
| Silver Lake State Park | NH State Parks | Parking lot listed as open and plowed | Boat launch listed as an access point for ice fishing |
| Town forest and conservation land | Town of Hollis | Hollis Trails lists a leash requirement | Woodmont Orchard, Farley Road and Dunklee Pond have limited parking |
Beaver Brook has a few wet spots this fall
Beaver Brook Association manages 2,200 acres of forest, fields and wetlands in Hollis, Brookline and Milford, with more than 35 miles of trails that are free and open every day from dawn to dusk. Its posted trail rules list four prohibited activities: "Hunting, camping, campfires and motorized vehicles." Leashed dogs are welcome, and owners are asked to carry out dog waste.
The catch this fall is water. Beaver Brook's homepage has a trail advisory for flooding on two parts of the Jeff Smith Trail. The first is the boardwalk between the West Hollis Road trailhead and French Meadow Loop. The second is the bridge area between the Proctor Hill Road trailhead and Wood Duck Ponds Trail. Both sections remain open, but the association warns they can be "slippery, muddy, and in some cases significantly underwater." If you usually start from either trailhead, expect wet boots, a muddy dog, or a turnaround at the boardwalk.
Beaver Brook also has three accessible trails: Cow Lane, Wildflower and Lower Meadow. Those names are worth knowing for a shorter outing with a stroller, an older dog or visiting relatives, and none of them is among the flooded Jeff Smith sections.
Monson Center and Silver Lake
The Forest Society's Monson Center reservation runs differently. Its visitor use guidelines state that "Forest Society properties are open daily, dawn to dusk, except for hunters during hunting season," and that "Hunting is allowed, subject to New Hampshire State Fish and Game regulations as well as any applicable local laws." Some properties or portions of them may be closed to hunting where posted. At dawn and dusk during the season, then, the people in the Monson woods may be hunters rather than hikers. The Forest Society allows voice or leash control for dogs unless a property posts a leash requirement. The Monson Center page lists parking for a few cars on Adams Road, in front of the gate.
Silver Lake keeps a usable lot into the cold months. The State Parks winter recreation page lists the Silver Lake parking lot as open and plowed, with no facilities, and names the boat launch as the access point for ice fishing. Hollis Trails also lists Silver Lake as one of the town's snowmobile parking areas.
Rocky Pond has gone into its off-season mode as well. The Town of Hollis posted on October 29 that the Rocky Pond Boat Launch is closed from November 1 to April 1, under the license agreement between the Town and the Harry H. Bell Homeowners Association of Rocky Pond. Ice fishing and ice skating are permitted by pedestrian access only.
Town trails and parking
The Hollis Trails rules page lists rules for the Town Forest and conservation land, including "NO TARGET SHOOTING OF ANY KIND." It also requires dogs on leash and lists $1,000 fines for motorized vehicles and for fires.
The Hollis Trails map page lists the trailhead lots most people start from: Silver Lake, Federal Hill/Monson, Woodmont Orchard, Farley Road, Dunklee Pond and Rideout Road. Woodmont Orchard, Farley Road and Dunklee Pond have limited parking, and Farley Road and Dunklee Pond allow no trailers. The same page links the Town's conservation map and the Nashua Regional Planning Commission's Town Forest Area Trails map, which are the quickest way to see whose land a loop crosses before you leave the car.
Dressing for the land you chose
Fish and Game's "Share the Forest" guidance, which ran in Hollis Brookline News on September 12, boils down to a short list.
- Wear blaze orange. A hat, vest, handkerchief or shirt works, and the agency suggests putting some orange on the dog too.
- Keep the dog leashed for its own safety, and consider a bell on the collar so it makes noise as it moves.
- Stay on established trails. Hunters generally avoid busy paths because foot traffic scares off game, so they tend to set up deeper in the woods.
- Go midday and midweek. Wildlife and hunters are most active at dawn and dusk, and most hunting happens on weekends.
- Make some noise. Talking, singing or whistling lets anyone nearby know where you are.
If you're thinking about buying acreage in Hollis, or selling land that borders a town forest or conservation parcel, Marianna Vis Realtor can connect you with local resources. Schedule a Consultation, and wear something orange to the showing.
