MONTPELIER — The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has designated the hunting seasons for ruffed grouse and woodcock for this year. Ruffed grouse season runs from Sept. 29 through Dec. 31 and the woodcock hunting season runs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 14. The department notes that the key to hunting success is to find suitable habitat for these upland game birds.
Woodcock are often found in alders along brooks and near beaver ponds as well as in new-growth small timber where old fields are reverting to forest. Ruffed grouse also frequent the same habitat, and they are particularly fond of the apples they find under wild apple trees.
Regulations require woodcock hunters to make sure their shotgun is capable of holding no more than three shells, and they must register for the federal Harvest Information Program on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website  at vtfishandwildlife.com or by calling toll-free 1-877-306-7091.
“This could very well be one of our better grouse hunting seasons due to our dry spring and summer weather probably contributing to good survival of grouse chicks,” said Mark Scott, Vermont’s director of wildlife.
For regulations and more information on hunting in Vermont, be sure to get a copy of the 2018 Hunting & Trapping Guide available from license agents statewide and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department at 802-828-1000 or [email protected]. A digital version of the Guide is also on the department’s website. Hunting licenses are available from the website and from agents throughout the state.
Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and the Green Mountain National Forest offer large expanses of huntable land and plenty of excellent grouse and woodcock habitat.
Several state wildlife management areas (WMAs) in the Northeast Kingdom and other sections of the state offer excellent public hunting opportunities. Descriptions and maps of the WMAs are provided on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website.