BRYCE WOOD SHOT this 153-pound, three-point buck in Shoreham during the opening weekend of rifle season. It was his first deer.
Photo courtesy of Backwoods Guns & Tackle

ADDISON COUNTY — The Vermont Department for Fish and Wildlife’s Youth and Novice Hunting Weekend for deer saw fewer youthful hunters successful than in past years in Addison County, but several still weighed impressive specimens at five of the county’s wildlife reporting stations.

In all, 63 hunters 15 or younger or first-time hunters in the presence of experienced hunters had 63 deer weighed in a county reporting station after taking the animals that weekend, Oct. 26 and 27. That’s the lowest count since at least 2016; a more typical number is in the 90s. The 2023 Youth/Novice Weekend count for Addison County was 91.

The numbers for this year’s newcomers weekend mirror lower local weights and to an extent lower takes for the other seasons — rifle season in late November, and archery and muzzleloader seasons that run in October and November and then again in the first half of December; see related stories in this edition.

The closing of Buxton’s Store in Orwell, a popular deer reporting station, almost certainly had some effect on the local numbers. But Backwoods Gun & Tackle in Bridport appears to have picked up some of its hunting clientele, and Jerusalem Corners Country Store in Starksboro and Rack ’N Reel in New Haven continue to lure hunters from Chittenden County to weigh their animals.

The largest buck weighed locally during Youth/Novice Weekend was handled by Jerusalem Corners Country Store, but shot in Hinesburg by Owen Francie; it was a 195-pound, 9-point buck.

Next on the list was a 184-pound, 6-point buck that Riley Fleming shot in Ferrisburgh and took to Backwoods Gun & Tackle to have weighed.

The bronze-medal buck was Noah Gorton’s 170-pound, six-pointer. He shot it in Middlebury and had it weighed at Rack ’N. Reel.

The following hunters were successful during Youth/Novice Weekend and brought their deer to a county reporting station, a list that also includes Lincoln General Store, Green Mountain Trails End in Bristol and two stations that did not report any action that weekend, West Addison General Store and C&S Hunting Supplies in East Middlebury.

Hunters are listed by name, town of kill, pounds and points if bucks, and pounds if does.

LINCOLN GENERAL STORE

RILEY FLEMING SHOT the biggest buck taken in county limits during the October Youth/Novice Weekend. It was a 184-pound, six-point buck Fleming took down in Ferrisburgh and weighed at Backwoods Guns & Tackle.

YOUTH: Tyrell Vaughn, Lincoln, buck 162 pounds-4 points; and Robert Newman, Huntington, doe 112 pounds.

JERUSALEM COUNTRY STORE

YOUTH: Wilder Wheelock, Starksboro, doe 94; Owen Francis, Hinesburg, buck 195-9; Mason Atkins, Lincoln, buck 166-6; Darien Haselton, Huntington, buck 105-2; and Owen Lafreniere, Huntington, buck 154-7.

GREEN MT. TRAILS END

YOUTH: Logan Davis, Starksboro, male.

BACKWOODS GUN & TACKLE

NOVICE: Adam Gill, Cornwall, doe 55.

YOUTH: Riley Fleming, Ferrisburgh, buck 184-6; Austin Rheaume, Cornwall, buck 152-6; Colten Butler, Shoreham, doe 139; Camille Plouffe, Bridport, doe 120; Taryn Burns, buck 115-2; Nathan Abbott, Shoreham, doe 104; and Wesley Felion, Addison, doe 103.

Also, Malachi Clish, Shoreham, doe 100; Mckenna Whitney, Shoreham, doe 95; Ashlynn Ketcham, Shoreham, doe 90; Todd McCray, Cornwall, doe 73; Eli Larocque, Shoreham, doe 70; Noah Hanson, Shoreham, male; and Case Pope, Bridport, female.

RACK ‘N REEL

YOUTH: Brett Wood, Shoreham, male; Milo Kinsman, Monkton, doe 106; Lawson Trombley, Ferrisburgh, doe 89; Connor Baslow, New Haven, male; Wyatt Jennings, New Haven, doe 124; Jayden Martell, doe 118; Eleanor Hurlburt, Monkton, female; Camden Fox, Hinesburg, buck 109-2; Sage Stevers, New Haven, buck 100-2; Alivia Germain, Panton, doe 111; Noah Gorton, Middlebury, buck 170-6; and Myra Haselton, Orwell, buck 134-5.

Also, Rudy Devoid, Addison, doe 83; James Bahrenburg, Ferrisburgh, female; Reed Shepard, Monkton, doe 109; Maya Cousino, Ferrisburgh, buck 157-7; Brayden Fay, Bristol, doe 112; Wyatt Parks, New Haven, male; Alivia Briggs, New Haven, doe 100; Jackson Angier, Ferrisburgh, doe 104; Abel Trombley, Ferrisburgh, doe 106; Jake Jerome, Middlebury, male; Isabella Kilbourn, New Haven, buck 142; and Remington Cousino, Bristol, doe 110.

Also, Abigail Hurlburt, Monkton, doe 114; Piper Steady, Orwell, doe 113; Patrick Bora, Ferrisburgh, buck 140-5; Celia Barnes, Cornwall, doe 106; Shealyn Zeno, New Haven, buck 99-2; Kohlton Flemings, Waltham, female; Isabella Audy, New Haven, buck 102-4; Carson Kimball, Brandon, buck 118-2; Violet Whitcomb, Starksboro, buck 85-2; Alexis Freegard, Weybridge, doe 135; Kayla Rose, Richmond, buck 111-2; and Bella Roell, New Haven, male.

NOVICE: Abby Brunton, Middlebury, doe 101; Lucinda Pollitt, New Haven, buck 170-4; Keeygan Cardinal, Starksboro, doe 127; Shannon Brown, Whiting, doe 114; and Phoebe Mason, Starksboro, buck 115-4.