Sign Up Now for Vermont’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge
May 10, 2012
Youths still have a chance to join the fun at the upcoming Youth Hunter Education Challenge on May 19th.
The wait between your orange card and your next trip to the woods is perfect time to hone your hunting skills. The Friends of the National Rifle Association, Vermont Bearhound Association, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are offering the perfect venue to do that: the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge.
The NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge is a free, day-long event for youth to practice their skills in firearms, archery and land navigation. Open to all youth under 19 years of age who have completed hunter education, participants will receive expert instruction while working their way through stations to improve their hunting skills and knowledge.
The Challenge will be held on Saturday, May 19th at the Edward Kehoe Conservation Camp, Point of Pines Road, in Castleton from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Lunch, t-shirts and door prizes will be provided. A hunter education card or a valid hunting license is required to participate. All equipment will be provided. Mentors, parents and guardians are encouraged and welcome to attend.
Pre-registration is required by May 16, 2012. To register, call or email Clint or Mary Gray at (802) 467-8445 or vtbearhound@yahoo.com.
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Vermont Moose Hunting Applications Available
May 4, 2012
Vermont moose hunting permit applications are available on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com), and printed applications will be at Vermont license agents statewide in June.
Lottery applications are $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. The deadline to apply is July 5. Winners of the permit lottery will purchase resident hunting permits for $100 and nonresident hunting permits for $350. Hunters also will have the option to bid on five moose hunting permits in an auction to be announced later.
“Permit allocation numbers will not be finalized until a regulation is adopted this summer,” said Wildlife Division Director Mark Scott. “We are making the applications available now for hunters’ convenience. Hunters can look online at the proposed number of permits and Wildlife Management Units proposed to be open for moose hunting.”
The Fish and Wildlife Department has proposed 385 moose hunting permits for the regular October 20-25 moose season, and 50 permits for an archery moose season October 1-7.
The 2011 Vermont Moose Harvest Report with details on last year’s hunt, including the towns where moose were taken, is on Fish and Wildlife’s website. Look under “Hunting and Trapping” and then “Big Game.”
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Public Hearings May 22 and 23 on Proposed Vermont Bear Hunting Regulation
April 27, 2012
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board will hold two public hearings to discuss a proposed bear hunting regulation designed to increase bear hunting opportunities, stabilize Vermont’s growing bear population and provide Fish & Wildlife Department biologists with additional data to better manage black bears in Vermont.
The hearings will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, at the Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton and Wednesday, May 23, at Lyndon State College in Room 100.
The board voted in March on a proposal presented by department biologists that would extend the annual bear season by four days and establish a new, separate black bear tag for those hunters who want to pursue bear in advance of the November deer rifle season.
Under the proposal, the overlap of the annual bear and November deer rifle season would increase from five to nine days. Bear hunters pursuing bears from the Sept. 1 opening day of bear season until the opening day of deer season would be required to purchase an inexpensive bear tag ($5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents). Hunters wishing to only take a bear during the time period of the bear season overlap with the November deer season would continue to get a bear tag along with their deer tag on their general hunting license at no additional cost. The changes would take effect in 2013.
“We’re fortunate in Vermont to have a healthy, growing black bear population,” said Mark Scott, Director of Wildlife for Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “The additional four days of hunting in November under this proposal will help us to slowly stabilize the bear population. The bear license will enable us to gather essential information about hunter effort and success as well as bear hunter numbers — measures that are vital for better estimates of Vermont’s bear population. We believe bear management in Vermont can then be more responsive to changing bear populations and public interests.”
Biologists estimate Vermont’s bear population at about 6,000 animals, which is at the upper end of the population goals in the Vermont Big Game Management Plan (2010-2020). Four hundred bears were harvested in 2011. Hunters typically harvest between 400-600 black bears each autumn in Vermont. The annual bag limit for bears is one per hunter.
“In 1990, Vermont’s bear season was shortened by four days in November because an objective at that time was to increase the bear population,” said Scott. “We achieved that, and now we’re aiming to stabilize the population. In recent years we’ve seen a tripling of bear-human conflicts and an eightfold increase in automobile collisions with bears.”
As part of the Fish & Wildlife Board’s rule process, the proposal must be voted on at two more upcoming board meetings.
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Vermont May Deer Hearings Set for St Albans and Springfield
April 27, 2012
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department will hold two public hearings on white-tailed deer management in May to give Vermonters the opportunity to review 2011 hunting season results and discuss the details of the 2012 Antlerless Permitting and Youth Season Recommendations. One meeting will be Monday, May 14, in St. Albans and the other Tuesday, May 15, in Springfield.
Three public hearings on deer were held in Castleton, Montpelier and Orleans in March, prior to the antlerless recommendation. The two May hearings provide the public the opportunity to comment on the department’s recommendation for the number of muzzleloader season antlerless deer permits, as well as the antlerless harvest during archery season and the Youth Deer Weekend.
The meetings will be held 7-8:30 p.m. at the St. Albans Town Educational Center Cafeteria, 169 South Main Street, St. Albans on May 14, and in the Riverside Junior High School Cafeteria, 13 Fairground Road, Springfield on May 15.
As in the three March meetings, wildlife biologists will share information on 2011 hunting season results as well as data gathered at biological check stations on antler measurements, ages and weights of deer. They will also review winter severity data for 2012, which indicated Vermont had one of the least severe winters on record. The biologists will discuss prospects for next fall’s deer season, including the new recommendations, and take questions from the audience.
Harvest totals from the 2011 hunting seasons show Vermont hunters took 12,132 deer during archery, youth, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons. Those totals will be discussed in detail at the meetings.
The 2011 White-tailed Deer Report and the 2012 Antlerless Permitting and Youth Season Recommendation are available on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).
“We are holding these meetings to share the latest information we have on Vermont’s deer, but also to hear from hunters and other Vermonters who care about deer,” said Director of Wildlife Mark Scott. “I encourage anyone interested to attend one of the meetings.”
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Vermont Youth Hunter Education Challenge, May 19
April 18, 2012
Youths can keep their hunting skills sharp at the upcoming Youth Hunter Education Challenge on May 19th.
The wait between your orange card and your next trip to the woods is a perfect time to hone your hunting skills. The Friends of the National Rifle Association, Vermont Bearhound Association, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are offering the perfect venue to do that: the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge.
The NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge is a free, day-long event for youth to practice their skills in firearms, archery and land navigation. Open to all youth under 19 years of age who have completed hunter education, participants will receive expert instruction while working their way through stations to improve their hunting skills and knowledge.
The Challenge will be held 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19th at the Edward Kehoe Conservation Camp, Point of Pines Road, in Castleton. Lunch, t-shirts and door prizes will be provided. A hunter education card or a valid hunting license is required to participate. All equipment will be provided. Mentors, parents and guardians are encouraged and welcome to attend.
Pre-registration is required by May 11, 2012. To register, call or email Clint or Mary Gray at (802) 467-8445 or vtbearhound@yahoo.com.
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Public Hearing April 25 on Proposed Vermont Moose Hunt
April 18, 2012
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board will hold a public hearing Wednesday, April 25, on the proposed regulation for the 2012 moose hunt. The hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in St. Leo’s Hall, 109 South Main Street, Waterbury.
A total of 385 moose hunting permits will be issued for Vermont’s 20th annual regular October moose season under a proposed regulation before the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board.
The board voted unanimously at their February meeting on the proposal presented by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department biologists that allocates moose hunting permits in 17 of the state’s 26 Wildlife Management Units.
The 385 permits proposed by the department represent a slight decrease from the 405 permits issued last year. Under the proposal, hunters are expected to harvest over 200 animals during the Oct. 20-25 season.
“Given Vermont’s track record of hunting success rates, this proposal allows us to achieve moose population goals for various parts of the state that have been set in the 10-Year Big Game Management Plan,” said biologist Cedric Alexander, Vermont’s moose project leader. “It’s the intent of this proposal to allow slow population growth in some regions of the state and stabilize moose numbers in other parts of the state.”
Alexander estimates Vermont has 2,500 to 3,000 moose statewide with the greatest concentration occurring in the Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont also holds a special “archery-only” moose season. Fifty permits will be awarded for the Oct. 1-7, 2012 archery moose season.
Moose hunting permit lottery applications, $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents, will be available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) in early May. Printed applications are scheduled to be available at license agents in early June.
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Vermont Governor Barely Escapes Bears
April 15, 2012
Friday the 13th was less than lucky for Vermont governor Peter Shumlin – he had a close encounter with four bears he spotted in the backyard of his newly-rented Montpelier home.
This is the time of year when black bears are emerging from hibernation in Vermont and will pursue just about any source of food, which can include birdfeeders.
Shumlin’s encounter began with the bears as he sought to defend his backyard birdfeeders, telling the AP “I open the window and yell at them to get away from the birdfeeders. They kind of trot off. I go around to the kitchen to turn the lights on and look from the other side and they’re back in the bird feeders. So I figure I’ve got to get the birdfeeders out of there or they’re going to make this a habit.”
He then rushed out and grabbed two of his feeders, and as he was trying to escape with another two feeders, “one of the bigger bears was interested in me.”
Shumlin said the bear was probably six feet from him before he slammed the door, at which point the bear retreated.
While Shumlin captured much of the event on his iPhone, according to him much of it wasn’t suitable for media outlets. “I sleep like many Vermont boys, without too much clothing at night. I’m not a big pajama person. The bottom line is: There bears were dressed better than I.”
Of course this begs the question: Why bring an iPhone and not, say, pants or a gun…to an encounter with four bears?
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Bart Jacob Memorial Vermont Turkey Calling Contest, Apr. 21
April 12, 2012
If you are young and can use a turkey call to cluck, yelp, purr, or do the Kee-Kee Run, you will have a chance to show off your turkey calling skills at the 7th Annual Bart Jacob Memorial Youth Turkey Calling Contest in Pawlet, Vermont on Saturday, April 21.
Oxbow Mountain 4-H Shooting Sports sponsors the youth turkey calling competition to honor the memory of the late Bart Jacobs, a man who manufactured his own high quality turkey calls in Pawlet and always cared about passing hunting traditions on to young people.
The event begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Pawlet Fire House off Route 133. Calling competition will be for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes in age groups 9, 10-14 and 15-18. Contestants must be registered. Registration on site is $15. For more information contact Lisa at 802-394-2445 or Donna at 802-645-9974.
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Vermont’s Spring Turkey Hunting Starts Soon
April 10, 2012
Vermont offers some of the best turkey hunting in New England according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. In 2011, hunters took more than 4,700 turkeys in both the youth weekend and regular May 1-31 seasons.
What makes Vermont’s spring gobbler season special? Vermont’s hunting is statewide during the spring season. Vermont’s turkey population is one of the highest in New England. You can buy a turkey hunting license without having to go through a lottery. The turkey license comes with two spring tags for two bearded birds and one tag for a turkey of either sex in the fall season. Plus, you get to hunt the entire weekend, because hunting is allowed on Sundays.
The hunter success was 22.5 percent, and an impressive 25.1 percent of those hunters took a second bearded turkey. Adult birds made up 64 percent of the total. Turkeys were taken in 238 of Vermont’s 253 towns.
Youth turkey hunting weekend is April 28-29 this year. Landowner permission is required to hunt on private land, whether or not the land is posted. To be eligible, a resident or nonresident youth must be age 15 or under. The youth must have successfully completed a hunter education course and possess a hunting license, a turkey hunting license and a free youth turkey hunting tag. The youth also must be accompanied by an unarmed adult who holds a hunting license and is over 18 years of age. The youth may take one bearded turkey during youth weekend and two bearded turkeys in the regular May hunting season.
The regular spring turkey hunting season is May 1-31. Two bearded turkeys may be taken, and all of Vermont is open to turkey hunting during the youth weekend and regular spring season. Shooting hours for both the youth and regular spring turkey season are one half hour before sunrise to 12:00 Noon.
Vermont is offering a new “mentored hunting license” this year for a resident or nonresident who has never completed a hunter education course or held a hunting license. A person with a mentored hunting license may hunt when accompanied by an adult 21 or older who holds a Vermont hunting license.
A shotgun or bow and arrow may be used in the youth turkey or regular spring turkey hunting seasons. Shot size must be no larger than #2 and no smaller than #8.
Vermont was the first New England state to re-establish wild turkeys when it stocked 31 birds in 1969 and 1970. Today, the Green Mountain State has an estimated 50,000 turkeys.
Vermont’s wild turkey restoration program is a tremendous wildlife management success story funded entirely by hunters through the sale of hunting licenses and a federal tax on hunting equipment. Now, hunters are reaping the benefits by seeing excellent turkey hunting in Vermont. And, all Vermonters are enjoying watching the big birds as they roam hillsides they had been absent from for almost a century.
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Board Votes to Increase Vermont’s Black Bear Hunting Opportunities
March 22, 2012
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a proposal designed to stabilize the growth in Vermont’s bear population, expand hunter opportunity, and provide Fish & Wildlife Department biologists with important data to better manage black bears in Vermont.
The board voted on a proposal presented by department biologists that would extend the annual bear season by four days and establish a new, separate black bear tag for those hunters who want to pursue bear in advance of the November deer rifle season.
Under the proposal, the overlap of the annual bear and November deer rifle season would increase from five to nine days. Additionally, bear hunters pursuing bears from the Sept. 1 opening day of bear season up until the opening day of deer season would be required to purchase an inexpensive bear tag ($5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents). Hunters wishing to only take a bear during the time period of the bear season overlap with the November deer season will continue to get a bear tag along with their deer tag on their general hunting license at no additional cost. The changes will take effect in 2013.
“We’re fortunate in Vermont to have a healthy, and growing, black bear population,” said Mark Scott, Director of Wildlife for Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “The additional four days of hunting opportunities we’ll add in November under this proposal will help us to slowly stabilize the bear population. Additionally, the bear license will enable us to gather essential information about hunter effort and success as well as an idea of overall bear hunter numbers, measures that are vital for better estimates of bear populations across Vermont. It is our belief that bear management in Vermont can then be more responsive to changing bear populations and public interests.”
Biologists estimate Vermont’s bear population at about 6,000 animals, which is at the upper end of the population goals outlined in the Vermont Big Game Management Plan (2010-2020). Four hundred bears were harvested in 2011. Hunters typically harvest between 400-600 black bears each autumn in Vermont. The annual bag limit for bears is one per hunter.
“In 1990, Vermont’s bear season was shortened by four days in November because we had an objective at that time to increase the bear population,” said Scott. “We achieved that objective, and now we’re aiming to stabilize the population. In recent years we’ve seen a tripling of bear-human conflicts and an eightfold increase in automobile collisions with bears.”
As part of the Fish & Wildlife Board’s rule process, the proposal must be voted on at two more upcoming board meetings. Additionally, the department is recommending that one or more public hearings be held related to the adoption of this rule.
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