Experiences like yours make me wonder what's so great about "open carry" (besides, of course, the fact that it's a citizen's Right) when even in a state that HAS it, its exercise will get you rousted in a heartbeat.
I've spent a great deal of time in NH (love Portsmouth, BTW) and some in VT, and despite the freedom repected there, I've never seen ANYONE carrying in public, probably because they fear what happened to you, or WORSE if the cop is a bit nervous.
I guess that's New England...it's so polluted with Leftists, especially Massachusetts ones, that even in a "good" state, you really DON'T have the rights you THINK you do.
Hell, even Maine, the land of hunters and Bushmaster, is thinking of banning semiauto rifles that look mean.
Or rake his shin/knee with the rear of your boot....
You were oblivious to your surroundings. A bad guy would have taken your gun. Given it's NH though, they had no justification for the ambush.