No record this year, but rifle season made hunters happy

The county’s rifle deer season fell short of setting a third straight record for number of bucks taken to local reporting stations, but plenty of venison was served or packed into freezers between Nov. 13 and 28.

Local hunters once again in 2021 took advantage of the Department of Fish & Wildlife’s October-November archery and October muzzleloader seasons, bringing in 269 deer to be weighed at one of Addison County’s seven wildlife reporting stations.

Once again, the region’s deer hunters appear to have gotten off to a successful start in 2021, although it looks like they might not be on a pace to set a record annual harvest for the fourth straight season.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking hunters for help in a statewide initiative to gather more biological data on the state’s deer population.

Hunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day regular deer season that begins Saturday, Nov. 13, and ends Sunday, Nov. 28.

Hunters who harvest a deer during Vermont’s youth and novice deer weekend are encouraged to bring it to one of 19 biological reporting stations to help state wildlife biologists gather data on the health of Vermont’s deer population.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is a common viral disease of deer in North America but had never previously been confirmed in Vermont.

Vermont hunters will be able to report turkeys and some deer they harvest this fall online through the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Hunters embarking on their first deer season are encouraged to take advantage of Vermont’s second annual novice weekend on the  Oct. 23 and 24.

Vermont’s archery deer hunting season runs at two different times this year: Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 and Nov. 29 to Dec. 15.

MONTPELIER — Final statewide deer harvest numbers will not be available until March, but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department announced last week the final tally will be around 18,000 deer, the second highest total since 2000. Those deer will provide … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — For the second straight year the region’s deer hunters have broken the post-2005 record for most bucks taken during Vermont’s 16-day November rifle season. And this time they smashed the mark for deer weighed in Addison County since Depar … (read more)

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 … (read more)

VERMONT — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking hunters for help in a statewide initiative to gather more biological data on the state’s deer population.  Hunters who get a deer during the Nov. 14-29 regular deer season are asked to provide a … (read more)

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department recently launched a new webpage to provide information and answer questions about changes to deer hunting regulations. The webpage has a Frequently-Asked-Question section, video series, maps, calendars … (read more)