ADDISON COUNTY — Many hunters got their wishes answered and skills rewarded in the first few days of Vermont’s rifle deer season, which opened on Nov. 14.
No local hunter was happier than Chris Hanson on Wednesday, Nov. 18. 
According to Andy Buxton owner of Buxton’s Store, where Hanson weighed his buck, Hanson was on an Orwell job site that day when he received an alert on a phone app and received permission to leave and pursue his prey. 
The result? Hanson shot a 262-pound, 10-point buck not far from Lake Champlain in Orwell, the largest deer the Independent has reported killed in at last two decades.
Department of Fish & Wildlife Deer Project Leader Nick Fortin is out of the office until Nov. 30 and did not immediately respond to an email with a question about where Hanson’s deer stood in history. 
According to the “200 Pound Buck Club” link at vermontbiggametrophyclub.com Napoleon L. Verge took a 300-pound, 8-point buck in Caledonia County in 1958 that tops that organization’s unofficial list. But Hanson’s deer would slot in at No. 9 and is the largest on that list taken since 1984.
Overall, in the first four days of this rifle season hunters had 219 deer weighed at one of Addison County’s seven wildlife reporting stations, 146 on opening weekend alone. 
Although the weekend count appears to fall well short of 2019’s record opening weekend take during rifle season of 594, state wildlife officials have been encouraging hunters to report kills directly to the department, in part to support social distancing at reporting stations.
Therefore, with Fortin unavailable, it is unknown at this point how many deer were taken and in the county as the rifle season opened. The Independent plans to track down full county results after rifle season concludes at dusk this Sunday, Nov. 29.
It remains to be seen if 2020 can approach the county’s post-2005 overall record level of 1,345 deer taken in all seasons combined set in 2018, or the 2019 rifle season record of 594. In 2005 the law changed to ban shooting younger spikehorn bucks during rifle season. 
Stations have reported a strong October-November bow season, on which the Independent will report when it concludes in December, as well as the overall numbers.
In the meantime, weigh station operators noted rifle-season bucks taken so far appear to be on the large side. Buxton’s in Orwell reported another buck that topped the 200-pound mark, that one a 201-pound, 8-pointer shot by George Whittemore in Bridport. 
New Haven’s Rack ‘N Reel weighed four that tipped the scales in that range: Anthony Andrews’s 211-pound, 8-pointers killed in Waitsfield; a 208-pound, 8-point buck taken by Todd Seguin in Bridport; a 208-pound, 8-pointer Kevin Kayhart brought down in Waltham; and a 203-pound, 8-pointer Michael Aruzza killed in Huntington.
Vermont Field Sports in Middlebury handled three, including one with a 10-point rack — a 208-pound buck Raymond Gale took in Salisbury. Two hunters brought 200-pound, 8-pointers there: Michael Menard shot his in Bristol, and Patrick Deering tracked his down in Cornwall. 
 The other weigh stations — Green Mountain Trails End in Bristol, C&S Hunting Supplies in East Middlebury, and the Lincoln and West Addison General Stores — for the most part also handled trophy bucks. 
Hunters who found success between Nov. 14 and 18 were as follows. They are listed by name, town of kill, and pound and points of the bucks: 

VERMONT FIELD SPORTS
Raymond Gale, Salisbury, 208-10; Michael Menard, Bristol, 200-8; Patrick Deering, Cornwall, 200-8; Douglas Butler, Middlebury, 193-8; Travis Hornbeck, Whiting, 183-8; Justin Seguin, Weybridge, 183-8; Derek Quesnel, Whiting, 180-9; Jason Bushey, Salisbury, 175-8; Tyler Hanley, Sudbury, 171-5; and Robert Gearwar, Leicester, 170-6.
Also, Rodney Bourdeau, Salisbury, 168-8; Scott Jarvis, New Haven, 168-6; David Wemette, Salisbury, 165-9; Thomas Plantier, Salisbury, 164-9; Terry Hier, Weybridge, 161-5; Ian Ploof, Sudbury, 161-8; Thomas Huestis, Weybridge, 161-5; Amber Bourdeau, Salisbury, 160-10; Ethan Ploof, Middlebury, 157-5; and George, Leclair, Ripton, 155-5.
Also, David Gagnon, New Haven, 155-8; Jordan Stearns, Middlebury, 154-6; Charles Desjadon, Ripton, 150-8; John Cyr, Bridport, 150-6; Donald Keeler, Middlebury, 150-7; David Dupoise, Ripton, 148-4; C. Michael Lefebvre, Ripton, 147-9; Todd Desabrais, Middlebury, 142-8; Aaron Paquette, Addison, 140-6; and Leon Demers, New Haven, 140-7.
Also, Jonathan Thresher, Salisbury, 137-7; Karl Kelton, Cornwall, 136-8; Henry Dimuzio, Middlebury, 135-7; Denise Johnson-Terk, Ripton, 135-8; Dustin Manning, Shoreham, 135-6; Nathan Peck, Ripton, 135-8; Jonathan Martin, Middlebury, 135-7; John Fitzpatrick, Cornwall, 132-8; and Louis Poirier, Ripton, 130-8.
Also, Allen Roberts, Ripton, 130-4; Steven Rheaume, Bridport, 130-4; Michael Palmer, Ripton, 130-6; George Devoid, Salisbury, 127-3; Allen Pidgeon, Salisbury, 127-8; and Peter Funk, Cornwall, 125-4.
Also, Glenn Terk, Ripton, 117-7; Bryon Bishop, Ripton, 117-7; Mercedes Warner, Salisbury, 116-3; Stephen White, Middlebury, 115-4; Devin Dwire, Salisbury, 115-4; Carl Murray, Ripton, 110-3; Khasey Nolette-Gilbert, Shoreham, 110-3; Darcy Trudeau, Ripton, 97-6; and Bobbie Putnam, Middlebury, 96-3.

C&S HUNTING 
Sydney Provencher, Middlebury, 137-6; Richard Warner, Middlebury, 172-6; Ronald DeVoid, Middlebury, 146-4; Christopher Griggs, Chittenden, 157-7.

BUXTON’S STORE 
Layton Hall, Orwell, 165-8; Nate Brown, Orwell, 140-6; Gus Lucas, Orwell, 140-4; Wyatt Laberge, Shoreham, 165-8; Wyatt Stearns, Shoreham, 145-8; Lilly Russell, Orwell, 143-5; Ed Bell, Orwell, 158-8; Douglas New, Sudbury, 125-4; and Bret Williams, Sudbury, 140-6.
Also, Cale Wright, Bridport, 154-5; Corey Buxton, Orwell, 140-3; Bob Douglas, Shoreham, 150-6; Ray Bradish, Sudbury, 159-6; Travis Whittemore, Bridport, 171-4; Alayne Bruno, West Haven, 145-4; George Whittemore, Bridport, 201-4; and Robert Lafountaine, Salisbury, 185-8.
Also, Andre Fletcher, Orwell, 190-8; Eric Hall, Orwell, 120-4; Barry Delphia, Leicester, 153-8; Chris Hanson, Orwell, 262-10; and C.J. Bourgeois, Shoreham, 140-6.
Also, Raya Burnham, Cornwall, 140-5; Ben Alger, Orwell, 155-7; Nick Gosselin, Orwell, 155-3; Dan Gosselin, Orwell, 175-6; Cathy Alger, Orwell, 145-7; and Nate Young, Orwell, 152-8.

WEST ADDISON (WAGS)
Logan Lecompte, Panton, 110-4; Kelley Barrows, Ferrisburgh, 150-3; and Samuel DeVries, Addison, 138-4. 

GREEN MT. TRAILS END
John Chamberlain, Lincoln, 199-9; Krista Evans, Weybridge, 179-8; Daniel Briggs, New Haven, 173-5; Kyle Armell, Monkton, 171-8; Emily Sherman, Bristol, 169-8; Tucker Davis, New Haven, 165-8; Cory Jennings, Hinesburg, 160-6; and Frank Lossman, Lincoln, 153-6.
Also, Eric Gracie, Lincoln, 151-8; Calihan Butler, Bristol, 148-7; Mathew Myers, New Haven, 147-5; Sarah Briggs, New Haven, 146-7; Andre Rheaume, New Haven, 146-5; Jack Bodington, Monkton, 146-8; Kaiden Pelland, New Haven, 142-8; and Eric Jipner, New Haven, 137-6.
Also, Kyle Cousino, Bristol, 128-4; Christopher Allen, New Haven, 125-3; Robert Shaw, Middlebury, 124-3; Nick Lossman, Bristol, 123-2; Mitchell Davis, Bristol, 118-4; Joshua Rochon, Bristol, 114-2; Wyatt Gracie, Bristol, 110-6; and Michael White-Coe, Starksboro, 102-2.

LINCOLN GENERAL STORE 
Chuck Norton, Lincoln, 156-8; Trevor Conant, Starksboro, 101-2; Jeremy Francis, Lincoln, 145-7; Dustin Haselton, Huntington, 132-5; Dennis Filion, Salisbury, 110-3; Victor Atkins, 114-2; Louis Brown, Lincoln, 163-8; Bradley Palmer, Charlotte, 196-8; Ed Lafayette, Lincoln, 143-3; Nick Mayer, Lincoln, 190-12; Larry Haskins, Huntington, 163-8; Jeremie Fitzgerald, Huntington, 189-8. 

RACK ‘N REEL
Eric Dalley, New Haven 141-8; Corey Barnes, New Haven, 129-3; Dillon Bissell, New Haven, 118-5; Christian Zeno, Starksboro, 162-7; Harold Masterson, Ripton, 100-2; Eric Baker, New Haven, 144-8; Deven Dubois, Addison, 134-3; Chris Bingham, Middlebury, 148-5; Tavon Therrien, New Haven, 182-9; and Scott Stearns, Ripton, 110-2.
Also, Wayne Stearns Jr., Ferrisburgh, 175-5; Brent Newton, New Haven, 164-8; Ray Highter, Middlebury, 132-4; Jonathan Pinnell, Williston, 117-4; Kevin Kayhart, Waltham, 208-8; Matt Leonard, Ferrisburgh, 167-8; Richard Ambrose, Essex, 148-7; Ronald Kerr, Shoreham, 144-5; and Garth Gaboriault, Richmond, 128-5.
Also, Gregory McKenney, Middlebury, 157-7; Keith Audy, New Haven, 149-6; John Parker, Addison, 124-4; Christina Baldwin, New Haven, 121-6; Ryan Thomas-Danyow, Ferrisburgh, 131-6; Michael Hinsdale, Ferrisburgh, 192-8; Anthony Andrews, Waitsfield, 211-8; Dylan Roscoe, Starksboro, 123-2; and Todd Hotaling, Monkton, 147-8.
Also, Todd Seguin, Bridport, 208-8; Dillon Quesnel, Lincoln, 116-3; Carrie Tracy, Monkton, 125-3; Stephen Gutowski, Ferrisburgh, 185-9; Nathan Kerr, Shoreham, 140-5; Kathryn Kayhart, New Haven, 164-7; William Robinson, Lincoln, 193-8; Dennis Rheaume, Bridport, 153-8; Alexis Lathrop, Middlebury, 176-6; and George Eisenhardt, Hyde Park, 129-4.
Also, Harley Grice, Middlebury, 171-7; David Hurlburt, Monkton, 163-8; Jackson Jennings, Starksboro, 104-2; Kody Ploof, Panton, 128-7; Rogan Jackman, Ferrisburgh, 178-7; Travis Leggett, Bridport, 164-6; Randy Cameron, Ferrisburgh, 192-8; Anthony Bushey, Ferrisburgh, 143-7; and Dean Webb, Monkton 132-4.
Also, Richard Miller, Middlebury, 130-4; Rheal Gevry, New Haven, 177-7; Ashtin Stevens, Ferrisburgh, 131-7; Ronald Munson, Bristol, 95-2; Mason White, Monkton, 113-3; Samuel Martin, Charlotte, 148-9; Stephen Aruzza, Middlebury, 176-9; Andrew Tracy, Monkton, 160-6; and Thomas Kilbourn, Ferrisburgh, 167-9.
Also, Randy Butler, New Haven, 155-7; Matthew Murphy, Waltham, 171-8; Megan Gaudette, Shoreham, 113-3; Craig Newton, Waltham, 190-8; Christopher Scrodin, Waltham, 176-8; Eric Highter, Middlebury, 148-8; Lance Fleming, Ferrisburgh, 130-6; Michael Poirier, New Haven, 158-6; and Richard Greene, Charlotte, 144-7.
Also, Lucas Smith, New Haven, 172-8; Travis Manning, New Haven, 136-6; Tyler Coleman, Waitsfield, 110-4; Michael Aruzza, Huntington, 203-8; Taylor Bessette, Monkton, 134-6; Christian Day, New Haven, 123-3; Jason Gebo, Ripton, 128-6; Michael Audy, New Haven, 151-5; and Jonathan Audy, New Haven, 154-5.
Also, Wesley Greene, Charlotte, 149-4; Eric Jennings, Monkton, 167-8; Casey Huizenga, Monkton, 155-9; Basil Jerger, Ferrisburgh, 179-8; Isaac Preston, Ferrisburgh, 121-4; Ryan Cornellier, Monkton, 154-8; Eric Bingham, Middlebury, 120-4; and Brett Wood, New Haven, 180-6.
Also, Ernest Malzac, Middlebury, 139-6; Darrin Hinterneder, Bristol, 132-4; Eric Rossier, Ferrisburgh, 155-6; Jon Boise, New Haven, 174-8; Ryan Mobbs, Hinesburg, 121-6; Philip Livingston, New Haven, 174-8; and Sherman Jewett, New Haven, 145-4.
Also, Jeffrey Jerger, Ferrisburgh, 175-8; Justin Fitzsimmons, Ferrisburgh, 187-4; Kylie Palmer, New Haven, 168-6; Robert Stearns, Ferrisburgh, 180-8; Bruce Perlee, New Haven, 138-7; Andrew Raymond, Ferrisburgh, 142-6; Jerad Gorton, New Haven, 198-8; and Daniel Smith, Panton, 126-3.