Hunter education course registration set

If you or someone you know would like to go hunting this fall but have never taken a hunter education course, this is the time to act. Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are now holding a limited number of courses throughout the state.

Although the fish and wildlife of Vermont are held in trust by the state for the benefit of all citizens, the board currently consists only of hunters, trappers, and/or anglers.

Were it not for state Sen. Chris Bray, D-Bristol, Monday’s legislative breakfast at St. Peter’s Parish Hall in Vergennes would have just been called “breakfast.”

It doesn’t have to be this way. Common ground exists in the wildlife debate and what won’t help find it is people yelling at one another.

Despite what its board members state and prefer us to think, Protect Our Wildlife, the primary organization driving legislative action, is an animal rights organization and should be specifically labeled by the media as such.

For background, hunting and fishing are the most important things in my life outside of my family.

I feel that I need to submit these salient thoughts to the discussion regarding Bill S.258, which proposes to make changes in the structure and make-up of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board.

I encourage people to view the Vermont Fish & Wildlife board meetings available online to gain a better perspective rather than listen to blatant partisanship attempting to influence public opinion.

At Monday’s Legislative Breakfast, local hunting and trapping enthusiasts grilled Sen. Chris Bray on bill S.258, which proposes to transfer the authority to adopt rules for the taking of fish, wildlife and fur-bearing animals from the Fish & Wildlife Boar … (read more)

I have served on the Fish and Wildlife for the past two years. Not once has Senator Bray or Hardy personally attended a board meeting.

Because there is quite a bit of misinformation circulating about this bill, I am urging you to look at the bill online so you can read for yourself what it does, and does not, do. 

I am writing in response to a recent letter from Fred Schroeder regarding proposed legislation to change the role and composition of the Fish and Wildlife Board and also to ban the practice of hunting coyotes with packs of hounds (hounding).

A recent letter to the Addison Independent included a great deal of misinformation about newly proposed legislation, S.258.

I am deeply disturbed by recent efforts by our local Senators, Christopher Bray, Bristol, and Ruth Hardy, Middlebury, to write legislation to remove the responsibility of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board in cooperation with our Vermont Fish & Wildlife De … (read more)

Despite a record-breaking November rifle season in which hunters had 676 bucks weighed locally, 2023 ultimately proved to be a below-average year for the overall number of deer killed and handled at Addison County wildlife reporting stations.