Vermont Turkey Brood Survey Online

WATERBURY , VT – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s fourth annual on-line wild turkey brood survey with input from the public begins on August 1.

“If you see wild turkeys in the month of August, please help us by reporting your sightings in the online turkey brood survey,” said Vermont Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche. “The data you provide will help answer questions concerning the impacts of spring and winter weather on the survival of poults and adult turkeys and help us identify any long-term trends in survival of young.

The turkey brood survey will be on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com), starting August 1. The survey allows entry of the number of adult male turkeys, adult females and poults as well as the date, time and location of the observations.

Laroche says the information will be helpful in setting turkey hunting seasons and harvest limits that are designed to manage the turkey population.

Records from the late 1700s and early 1800s indicate wild turkeys were present in southern Vermont in smaller numbers than today. At the time of European settlement, most turkeys seemed to exist along the Taconic Mountain Range in southwestern Vermont and along the Connecticut River Valley in southeastern Vermont . Loss of forestland and unregulated market hunting in the early 19th century led to the elimination of Vermont ’s wild turkeys by the mid-1800s.

Vermont released the first 17 wild trapped New York turkeys in Pawlet , Vermont in 1969. A second release of 14 wild birds in was made in Hubbardton in 1970. Today, Vermont ’s wild turkey population is estimated to number more than 50,000 birds. All of these are believed to directly descend from the original 31 New York wild turkeys. Wild turkeys are now found throughout Vermont .

Vermont has excellent turkey hunting across most of the state with 5,000 to 6,000 turkeys normally taken each year. Turkey hunting is a significant benefit to the people of Vermont by providing hunting opportunity, economic activity and a mechanism to control turkey numbers. Over-abundant turkey populations can result in nuisance or damage situations.

“This is your chance to contribute to the scientific management of Vermont ’s turkey population,” said Laroche. “By entering the information about the turkeys you observe, you can help ensure that Vermonters will continue to enjoy turkeys in the years ahead.”

Special Opportunity Moose Hunt

WATERBURY , VT – Special opportunity moose hunts for as many as three people under 21 years old who have a life threatening disease or illness are being offered by Vermont this year.

All applicants must be sponsored by a charitable organization with 501(c)(3) status. The deadline to apply to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is September 9, 2010, and there is no cost to apply and no cost for the permit. Anyone who held a Vermont moose hunting permit in 2007, 2008 or 2009 is not eligible to apply.

Those who are selected to receive a special opportunity moose hunting permit must purchase a Vermont hunting license before going hunting. In order to purchase the license, the person must have passed a hunter education course or have held a hunting license previously.

Each recipient of one of these hunting permits may take one moose of either sex during the October 16 -21, 2010 moose hunting season. The permittee may designate up to five support personnel who may accompany the permittee on the moose hunt, one of whom may be a second shooter with a Vermont hunting license.

Information and a special application are available from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 103 South Main Street , Waterbury , VT 05671-0501 . Tel. 802-241-3695. Email: fwinformation@state.vt.us

Vermont Moose Hunting Permit Winners Are Drawn

Waterbury, VT – The winners of Vermont ’s 2010 moose hunting permits were determined July 09 at a lottery drawing in Waterbury .

Michael O’Neill of Sheffield , Vt , who attended to witness the drawing, started the computer-generated selection process that randomly picked 765 winners among more than 12,000 people who applied this year.

The drawing is done by a random sort of applications that were submitted by a June 1 deadline. Lottery applications were $10.00 for residents and $25.00 for nonresidents.

People who applied last year and didn’t get a permit were given a bonus point, increasing their odds of winning a permit in future moose permit lotteries. Read more

Vermont Antlerless Deer Hunt Applications Available

Waterbury, VT – Vermont ‘s antlerless deer hunting lottery applications for the muzzleloader season are now available on the Fish & Wildlife Department’s website, at Fish & Wildlife district offices, and at license agents statewide.

Applications may be submitted on-line with a credit or debit card payment, or printed, filled out, and mailed in with a check. On-line applications are found at (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Go to “Hunting and Trapping” and click on Lottery Applications.

The permits are only for “antlerless deer,” which is defined as deer without antlers or with antlers less than three inches long.

A hunter who wins an antlerless deer permit in the lottery may use it to take one antlerless deer by muzzleloader during the December 4-12, 2010 muzzleloader season in the wildlife management unit (WMU) designated on the permit.

“We appreciate that most hunters are supportive of scientific deer herd management,” said Dr. Shawn Haskell, Vermont ’s deer biologist. “They realize a certain number of antlerless deer must be removed in some areas of the state in order to keep the deer population in balance with its habitat. Wildlife biologists make recommendations annually, based on winter severity, habitat conditions, deer population goals, and harvest objectives.”

All of Vermont ’s wildlife management units (WMUs) are proposed to have muzzleloader antlerless permits this year except WMUs E, O1 and P. The 25,600 muzzleloader antlerless permits proposed will help slow the growth of the deer population in these units and are expected to net a harvest of about 4,500 deer. The numbers of permits to be issued and WMUs to be open will be determined by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board at a later date.

Six WMUs on the western side of the state (A-F1-F2-K1-K2-N) had permits last year that were unallocated after the lottery drawing because not enough people applied.

Applications must be postmarked no later than August 26, 2010, or delivered that day in the Waterbury Fish & Wildlife office by 4:30 p.m. On-line applications will be accepted until midnight of August 26, 2010. The cost to apply is $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. A person may submit only one application.

Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival Celebrates Wildlife and Spring

WATERBURY , VT – Anyone interested in wildlife or itching to get out and enjoy a spring day should make plans to attend the 11th annual Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival in Rockingham on Sunday, May 2.

Herricks Cove is a beautiful spot on the Connecticut River and the perfect setting for this festival that celebrates the wonders of wildlife. Many species of live wildlife will be featured. Naturalist and story teller Brian “Fox” Ellis as well as author and garden designer Henry Homeyer will be giving presentations.

For the early risers, a 7:00 a.m. guided bird walk is planned. The rest of the day’s activities are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guided nature walks, nature presentations, live music, and workshops are some of the fun activities planned. The suggested donation is $2.00 for an individual and $5.00 for a family.

For the schedule of programs and activities visit the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com) and check out Items of Special Interest, or call The Nature Museum at Grafton: 802-843-2111 or Ascutney Mountain Audubon: 802-722-3355.

Herricks Cove is located just off of Route 5 less than three miles north of Bellows Falls .

Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival is presented by Ascutney Mountain Audubon and TransCanada Hydro. It is co-sponsored by the Nature Museum,Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Luzenac America , Ben and Jerry’s Homemade, Eagle Optics, Southeast Council on the Arts, Bellows Falls Rotary, and Vermont Country Store.

Public Hearing on Turkey and Moose Regulations, May 19

WATERBURY, VT – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board will hold a public hearing in Montpelier on Wednesday, May 19, to receive public comment on changes to turkey and moose hunting regulations. The proposed turkey hunting regulation will be discussed from 6:00-7:00 p.m., and the proposed moose hunting regulation will be discussed from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State Street in Montpelier .

Several of the changes that appear in this year’s proposed regulations for turkey and moose hunting were derived from Vermont ’s newly-adopted Big Game Management Plan.

The proposed fall turkey hunting season would include:

* bow and arrow only — to be statewide – Oct. 2-22, 2010;

* current seven-day shotgun or archery season would expand to nine days – Oct. 23-31, 2010 in WMUs B, D1, D2, G, H1, H2, I, J1, J2, L, M1, M2, O1, O2, P, Q

WMUs B, D1, D2, and H1 would be new additions to this season.

* shotgun or archery season would be for 16 days – Oct. 23-Nov. 7, 2010 in WMUs F1, F2 ,K1, K2 , N.

The proposed 2010 moose hunting season would include:

* an Oct. 2-9 archery only season with 50 hunting permits;
* an Oct. 16-21 regular season with 765 hunting permits;
* 5 regular season hunting permits for auction;
* 5 regular season hunting permits for a lottery among Vermont residents who have received or are eligible to receive a campaign ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

You can read the two proposed regulations in their entirety on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com). Under Law Enforcement, click on Rules and Proposed Rules.

A Warning To Outdoor Users About Echinococcus, From Worms

by

Tom Remington

This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating. Read more

Picture This!

With all the great stories, equipment, adventures and people out there I thought it would be great to get some pictures.  If you have any pictures from a hunt, your gear or best of all you geared up that would be great.  If you send in pictures I will post on our site as well as putting some of the best pictures on all our sites.

Read more

Skinny Moose Media Will Live-Stream Maine Moose Lottery

Mark your calendars! June 18th, 2009 will be the annual drawing for the Maine Moose Lottery. This year 3,015 permits will be drawn and as is usually the case thousands of applicants keep their fingers crossed in hopes of being one of the lucky ones.

This year’s event will be held at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and as last year, Skinny Moose Media, in conjunction with U.S. Hunting Today and Maine Hunting Today, will live-stream the video and audio of the event.

Tom Remington, Vice President of Skinny Moose Media, LLC, author of the Black Bear Blog and Managing Editor of U.S. Hunting Today and Maine Hunting Today, will be on hand at the show to conduct interviews and do the filming of the event. He will have his long time friend and Chief Photographer for Skinny Moose Media, Milt Inman with him to assist and grab tons of candid shots throughout the day and evening. Read more

Northeast Environmentalists Want To Protect Interbred Canids (Dogs)

Where will the absolute insanity stop when it comes to efforts by extremists to end hunting, fishing and trapping, close off lands to human use, strip us of our rights and destroy our god given right in the pursuit of happiness?

It has gotten so bad that a group, made up of representatives from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York, have petitioned the Department of Interior in order to place protections under the Endangered Species Act for any interbred species of dogs, coyotes, wolves or any combination of the above, claiming these all to be unique species. Read more

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