Hunting under controlled conditions for ducks at Mud Creek in Alburgh and geese at Dead Creek in Addison has been popular since the early 1970′s. Permit applications for these two areas are available on Fish and Wildlife’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com). Printed applications will also be available September 7, at Vermont Fish and Wildlife offices in Essex Junction, Waterbury , Addison, Barre, St. Johnsbury, Springfield and Rutland .

Applications must be filled out correctly and postmarked no later than September 20, 2010. There is no fee to apply.

A public drawing to award hunting permits will be held Friday, September 24 at 12:00 Noon at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area headquarters off Route 17 in Addison . Attendance is not required. Successful applicants will be notified and must pay a $10 permit fee on the day of the hunt.

Vermont’s bear population is healthy and estimated at more than 5,500 black bears, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The bear population has increased slowly for the last two decades, and regulated hunting is used to control the population’s growth. Under the recently enacted 2010-2020 Big Game Plan the population objective is to maintain bear numbers to between 4,500 to 6,000 animals. Hunters took 629 bears in Vermont ’s 2009 hunting season.

“Carefully regulated hunting allows for the sustainable utilization of black bears for food and other purposes,” said wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond. “Bears also have ecological and aesthetic values for Vermont .”

“ Vermont ’s black bears appear to have plenty of food available as we approach fall,” Hammond added. “ Berry crops are abundant, and we have a good crop of apples and acorns in many areas of the state.”

The biggest long-term threat to Vermont ’s bears continues to be habitat loss. “Each year Vermont loses many acres of critical bear habitat to development,” said Hammond . “The ability to keep bears in Vermont over the next 50 years will depend on how much habitat we keep to support bears.”

Although wearing fluorescent orange clothing is not mandatory for hunting in Vermont , hunters and others are urged to wear a fluorescent orange vest and hat while in the woods. Anyone hunting deer during archery season, waterfowl or turkeys will normally wear camouflage clothing.

Hammond also asks successful bear hunters to help in determining the age of bears taken by removing the bear’s pre-molar tooth and sending it to the Fish and Wildlife Department. Special envelopes are provided to big game check stations for this purpose.

Following strategies outlined in Vermont ’s Big Game Management Plan, the Fish and Wildlife Department recommended expanding fall turkey hunting based on scientific data and public input. As a result, the Fish and Wildlife Board passed a regulation that allows turkey bow hunting statewide, a seven-day shotgun season is expanded to nine days, and Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) B, D1, D2, and H1 are opened for the fall shotgun season for the first time. Only WMUs A, C and E remain closed to the hunting of turkeys with shotguns in the fall season.

Vermont’s 2010 Turkey Fall Seasons:

Bow & arrow only: October 2-22 in all WMUs statewide

Shotgun or bow & arrow: October 23-31 in WMUs B, D1, D2, G, H1, H2, I, J1, J2, L, M1, M2, O1, O2, P, and Q

Shotgun or bow & arrow: October 23-November 7 in WMUs F1, F2, K1, K2 , and N

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department tracks the abundance of turkeys using harvest data, nesting success provided by turkey brood surveys, winter severity, and hunter pressure based on license sales. Vermont ’s wild turkey population is estimated to be more than 50,000 birds.

“Weather conditions appear to have been favorable for chick survival this year, so hunters should expect to see a higher of number of turkeys going into the fall season,” said Forrest Hammond, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s lead biologist on wild turkeys.

A statewide open hunting season for Canada geese will occur September 7-25, 2010. The daily bag limit will be five Canada geese except in that portion of the Lake Champlain Zone within Addison County north of Route 125, where the limit will be two per day. The purpose of the season, which is held earlier than the regular waterfowl hunting seasons, is to help control Vermont’s resident Canada goose population prior to the arrival of Canada geese migrating south from northern Canada.

“This September goose season is prescribed for resident Canada geese that have built up a sizeable breeding population here in Vermont ,” said State Wildlife Biologist William Crenshaw.

Vermont’s youth waterfowl hunting weekend will be held September 25-26, 2010. Hunters under age 16 may hunt ducks and geese statewide during this season while accompanied by an adult 18 or older. Both must have Vermont hunting licenses. The adult may not hunt or carry a firearm. Neither the youth nor the adult is required to hold a state or federal duck stamp on this weekend.

This year, as in 2004 the September Canada goose season and the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend overlap by one day, Saturday, September 25. On this day the daily bag limit for Canada geese will be the same as the September Canada Goose Season. On Sunday, September 26, the daily bag limit will be three, the same as the late (October-November) Canada goose season.

“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.”

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

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.

In addition to the regular lottery drawing, a “special priority drawing” was held for five permits to go to applicants who have received, or are eligible to receive, a Campaign Ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (in Afghanistan). Valid applications were received from 63 people. These five permits were drawn first. The unsuccessful applicants from the Iraqi-Afghanistan drawing were included in the larger regular drawing that followed. All applicants for both drawings who did not receive a permit were awarded a bonus point to improve their chances in future moose permit lotteries.

“Today’s lottery drawing helps celebrate one of Vermont ’s successes in science-based wildlife management,” said State Wildlife Biologist Cedric Alexander. “ Vermont ’s moose management program has worked well since the first hunt in 1993, when 25 moose were taken with 30 permits issued. We expect 400-450 moose will be taken this fall in a carefully regulated hunt.”

Winners of this year’s moose hunting permits are posted in a searchable database on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Click on “Hunting and Trapping” and then on “Lottery Applications and Winners.”

Permit winners will purchase resident hunting permits for $100 and nonresident permits for $350. Ten percent of the permits go to nonresidents. Payments for the hunting permits must be by money order, bank check or credit card. Personal checks are not accepted. Payments must be received in the Waterbury Fish and Wildlife office by July 26, 2010.

Those who didn’t win in the lottery may bid in a sealed-bid auction for five moose hunting permits. To receive a 2010 Moose permit bid kit, contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 103 South Main Street , Waterbury , VT 05651-0501 . Telephone 802-241-3700 or email (fwinformation@state.vt.us). The deadline for bids is August 3.

Vermont law prohibits anyone who has held a Vermont moose hunting permit within any of the previous three calendar years from applying for a moose hunting permit or a bonus point in the current year. This includes permits awarded through the auction bid process.

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 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.

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.