RUTLAND — The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters who harvest a deer during the November rifle season to provide a middle incisor tooth from the deer so its age can be determined.
Hunters who get a deer during the Nov. 14-29 rifle season are asked to provide an incisor tooth from their deer when they go to a reporting station.
Biologists are collecting middle incisor teeth from all rifle season deer in order to evaluate regional differences in ages and antler characteristics of bucks as well as to help estimate population size, growth rate, health, and mortality rates.
“This is the most comprehensive effort the department has made to collect age and antler data on Vermont’s buck population,” said Scott Darling, wildlife management program manager. “Successful hunters can make a huge contribution to the management of the state’s deer herd by participating in this project.”
Hunters are asked to obtain a tooth envelope from the reporting agent. Write your name, Conservation ID number and date of kill on it. Carefully remove one of the middle incisor teeth, making sure to include the root. Place the tooth in the envelope and give it to the reporting agent. Each tooth will be cross-sectioned to determine the deer’s age, and the results will be made available to hunters on the Fish & Wildlife website next spring.
Instructions on removing the tooth are posted at reporting stations, and a video showing how is available on Fish & Wildlife’s website, www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
The department is also asking hunters to keep the antlers from their deer at home so they can be examined by Fish & Wildlife personnel after the deer season in order to collect additional biological data on antler development. 
Hunters who submit a tooth will be entered in a drawing to win one of five $50 Cabelas gift cards.