MONTPELIER — A youngster’s first hunt can mark the beginning of a lifelong passion for the outdoors and a commitment to wildlife conservation. There is no finer time to begin this journey than during Vermont’s upcoming youth waterfowl hunting weekend on Sept. 28 and 29.
On those days, hunters 17 years of age or younger may hunt ducks and geese in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont waterfowl hunting zones. The youth hunter must have a Vermont hunting license and must be accompanied by an unarmed adult, 18 years of age or older, who also has a Vermont hunting license.
Youths 16 and 17 years of age must have state and federal duck stamps. All youth hunters must also register with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) in each state that they hunt. This can be done on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website or by calling toll-free 1-877-306-7091. The adult may not hunt waterfowl or carry a firearm while accompanying the youth when the youth is hunting waterfowl.
Ducks and geese may be taken by youth hunters on Sept. 28 and 29 according to the bag limits set in the 2019-2020 Syllabus of State and Federal Hunting Regulations for Migratory Birds in Vermont, available from Vermont post offices, Fish & Wildlife offices and as a downloadable file from vtfishandwildlife.com.