Be sure to wear orange during rifle deer season

Vermont Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters to wear fluorescent orange.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking hunters for help gathering biological data on the state’s deer population. Hunters who get a deer during the Nov. 16-Dec. 1 regular deer season are asked to provide an incisor tooth from their deer. Tooth … (read more)

Hunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day regular deer season, which begins Saturday, Nov. 16, and ends Sunday, Dec. 1.

Hunters have taken to the woods for Vermont’s Oct. 1-Nov. 15 and Dec. 2-15 archery deer hunting season.

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.