VERMONT — With youth deer weekend just around the corner, young hunters are encouraged to take to the field to hone their skills and to also help Fish & Wildlife biologists by reporting their deer at one of 23 biological check stations around the state, including two in Addison County.
Youth deer hunting weekend helps ensure that young hunters get the quality training they need for lifelong participation, and it also provides biological information needed to manage the herd into the future.
“The information collected from deer during the youth deer hunting weekend is vital to deer management in Vermont,” said Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s Deer Project Leader Adam Murkowski. “Our ability to assess the health of local deer herds increases with the number of deer that are examined at biological check stations.”
?“Managing for deer herd health means monitoring the physical condition of individual deer to ensure they are healthy,” said Murkowski. “The youth deer weekend is our best opportunity to assess the physical condition of individual deer and examine the demographics of the deer herd as youth hunters are allowed to harvest any deer without antler restrictions.”
In Addison County, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department will have personnel running biological check stations at Buxton’s Country Store in Orwell and Vermont Field Sports in Middlebury from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the youth weekend on Nov. 8 and 9. Youth hunters who bring their deer to a biological check station may have their deer examined and aged by a biologist. In addition, youth hunters visiting a biological check station will receive a youth hunter participation patch, and successful youth hunters will also receive a 2014 Vermont Hunter Cooperator Patch.
Anyone, resident or nonresident, who is 15 years old or younger on the weekend of the hunt and who has successfully completed a hunter education course may purchase a hunting license and obtain a free youth deer hunting tag. The requirements apply to all interested young hunters, including the children of landowners.
The young hunter must be accompanied by an unarmed adult over 18 years of age who holds a Vermont hunting license. The adult may accompany up to two young hunters. 
The law requires the adult to have direct control and supervision of the young hunters, including the ability to see and communicate without the aid of artificial devices such as radios or binoculars.
Landowner permission is required in order to hunt on private land during the youth deer hunt weekend.
The youth hunter may take one deer of either sex on youth deer weekend, and the antler restriction that applies in other deer seasons does not apply during youth deer weekend.
Violation of the youth deer hunting law can result in a doubled fine that is assessed against the adult who accompanies the youth.