NH-Hirst+Wildlife+Management+Area


 * =Birding in New Hampshire=

Merrimack County
Boscawen =Hirst Wildlife Management Area= Boscawen, New Hampshire 03303 Hirst Wildlife Management Area webpage Hirst Wildlife Management Area map

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Hirst WMA, Boscawen
Coordinates: 43.2825635, -71.6186714 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Hirst Wildlife Management Area
The property can be accessed from Queen Street in Boscawen. Access is an old woods road on the south side of Lower Queen Street. The water can be accessed with a canoe or car top boat.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department purchased 115 acres of the Hirst Marsh property in 1971, acquiring approximately 2/3 of the marsh. In 1987, an additional 25 acres, encompassing the remaining 1/3 of the marsh was purchased. The final purchase of 16 acres in 1991 provided a protective upland buffer to the marsh and public access to the WMA for hunting, fishing, and recreational activities. Purchases were made with state and federal funding and by generous donations of previous landowners.

The 30 acre Hirst Marsh was a naturally occurring wetland created by beaver activity. When beaver became inactive, the NH Fish and Game Department constructed a concrete dam to maintain the water level and the exceptional waterfowl habitat this marsh provides. The marshland vegetation is comprised mainly of cattails, grasses, and sedges along the edge with emergent aquatic vegetation species of bur reed, pickerelweed, water shield, and white water lilies surrounding open marsh. A small island with shrubby vegetation provides excellent nesting cover for ground-nesting waterfowl.

The NH Fish and Game Department has maintained artificial wood duck nesting boxes in the marsh since 1978 with a high utilization rate by wood ducks and hooded mergansers. Mallards and black ducks are also known to nest on the marsh. Autumn migrants include green- and blue-winged teal. Other common wildlife species include beaver, muskrat, otter, fisher, white-tailed deer, and common turtle species. The Town of Boscawen and the City of Concord manage 490+ acres of contiguous wildlife habitat adjacent to the Hirst Marsh WMA. From Hirst Wildlife Management Area webpage

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media type="custom" key="27685941" || L2367440 US US-NH US-NH-013 43.2825635 -71.6186714 Hirst WMA, Boscawen