New Hampshire has a large (more than 25,000 acres, surrounded by a 12-foot-high fence that’s 26 miles long) private hunting park in Sullivan County that relatively few people know about. If you’ve heard of it, that’s probably because of this NHPR story from several years ago.
The New England Historical Society has an article about Austin Corbin, the man who created the playground for gun-toting millionaires in the late 1880’s. It calls him a “loathsome” robber baron, among other things – although note that the article isn’t bylined and the NEHS doesn’t seem to be your standard history group.
You might be hearing about the park again because a bill has been proposed that would require a special safari hunting license to take “exotic game including wild boar or elk from a hunting preserve ” in New Hampshire. So far as I can tell, this would apply only to Corbin Park, also known as Blue Mountain Preserve, since the state has no other hunting preserves that I know of. (There are some in Maine and probably other New England states.)
I’m waiting to talk to the legislator (Rep. Reny Cushing, D-Hampton) about the bill. It’s slated for a hearing tomorrow – Jan. 14.
To me, the startling thing about Corbin Park is that it has wild feral hogs, which are a god-awful invasive species that is devastating the South and Southwest. The fact that we allow them in New Hampshire is crazy. You might allow a business that raises killer bees because they said, “that’s OK, I’m sure they won’t escape”.
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check your sources. the blue mountain forest association is less than 25,000 acres inside the fence. the “feral hogs” as you put it are actually wild boar from europe that have been at the park for a long time. robber-baron or not, austin corbin was instrumental in reintroducing white-tail deer back into NH.
This is true about the hogs being introduced from Europe. They do and have escaped from this place and they become feral while living outside the enclosure this is how the feral hogs from the southern region began. These little guys procreate at a very fast rate if left unchecked .ive been waiting to see some of these escaped hogs for a long time . The only time ive seen was while checking traps back in the late 80s in the anni duncan forest and didnt have the rifle.
What you have written describes the “problem with Feral Pigs. Very few people have seen them. The pigs reputation is far worse than the actual situation. I’m sorry if the State had to pay to pick a few up, but other than that, the pigs avoid people and do not make nearly the trouble that some people would have you think.
Living in NH all my life…I was astounded to find out that I could not hike up to those Ledges that have been calling me as I drive along 89 North in Grantham. It just doesn’t seem right. Live Free or Die.
David, do your homework! Their wild boar HAVE escaped; ask anyone around Claremont who has had a lawn/garden plowed up by tusks. The boar belong to the Blue Mountain Assn., even outside their holdings, but you can keep them if you shoot them.
And there are several shooting preserves where the “exotic game” is pheasants, chukkar and other stocked game birds.
Interestingly, Corbin Park operates under several proprietary state laws. This bill exempts them.
Would love to know where Cushing is coming from with all this.
Really, CORBIN Park is a “hunting” ground where the animals are completely fenced in. It’s not real hunting it’s shooting fish in a barrel. I do not know who these rich people are but several years ago one of the “hunters” in the park shot and killed another hunter.
hardly. there is plenty of escape cover and VERY rugged terrain that allows the animals a fair chance to escape/evade. no more or less difficult than outside the fence.
More slop from the Sander’s “were coming for your stuff crowd”. It’s private property….
I am just amazed and thankful that this park exists still today. It’s a legal operating establishment, I’ve been on it and just him in love with the whole idea of
I have pictures of corbin park from when I was there a few years ago. I am willing to share them.