A hunting-related shooting is more than just a personal tragedy for the victim, the shooter and their families. It’s also a black eye for all hunters — because no matter how rare, each incident casts hunting in a bad light by reinforcing the perception that hunting is dangerous. As result, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department strongly urges hunters, especially during the firearm deer season, to include some fluorescent hunter orange clothing with their other essential gear.

“Hunter orange is a choice in Vermont ,” said Chris Saunders, Vermont ’s Hunter Education Coordinator. “But that’s no excuse. In the past ten years, almost half of the state’s hunting accidents might have been prevented with hunter orange.”

In a review of 20 years of Vermont hunting-related shooting reports, hunters not making sure what lies in front and behind their target and mistaking other hunters for game are two of the three most common causes of the state’s shootings. Both types involve visibility problems, and both underscore the need for hunters to see and be seen during the fall firearms deer season.

Nationwide data support this. For instance, a New York study found that 94 percent of hunters involved in mistaken for game incidents were not wearing hunter orange. This statistic is even more startling when you consider that 81 percent of New York hunters do wear hunter orange.

Concerns that deer are scared by hunter orange are unfounded. Recent research suggests deer do see color, though ample anecdotal evidence also suggests they aren’t bothered by it. Yearly deer harvests in many of the states that require hunter orange, like Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania exceed several hundred thousand animals a year.

Even blaze orange won’t help you if you don’t follow the four basic rules of safe hunting:

1) Treat every gun as if it is loaded.

2) Point your gun in a safe direction.

3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

4) Be sure of your target and beyond.

Hunt smart, think safety, and good luck.

“Hunters who applied for muzzleloader antlerless deer permits and will be participating in the October 2-24 and December 4-12 archery season may want to check our website to find out if they will be receiving a muzzleloader season antlerless permit,” said Fish and Wildlife’s Chief of Operations Thomas Decker. “Knowing the answer will help them in planning their hunt.”

“More than 6,000 muzzleloader antlerless deer permits are still available across nine Wildlife Management Units,” said Decker. “They are being made available in order to meet deer management goals and keep the deer population in balance with its habitat.”

Hunters are able to purchase these un-allocated permits until they are gone on a first-come-first serve basis on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) at $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.

“Hunters who do not have internet access at home may want to use a friend’s computer or go to a nearby library to get online,” said Decker. “We also will provide internet access here at our Waterbury office for those who want to travel to apply in person. If you must travel to Waterbury , you should call Fish and Wildlife at 802-241-1271 to verify which, if any, permits are still available.”

Antlerless deer permits were still available in the following WMUs on September 24: A-B-F1-F2-K1-K2-M1-M2-N.

The change is being made to facilitate the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s move toward electronic licensing and to reduce costs associated with administering the duck stamp and print program, which will allow more duck stamp monies to be used on wetland conservation projects in future years. The 2010 stamp features a dramatic photo of a drake wood duck and represents the last chance for conservation-minded collectors to purchase state duck stamps.

Vermont became the 37th state to have a state duck stamp program in 1986 when it issued its first stamp, which is required of all duck, goose and other migratory waterfowl hunters age 16 and older. Each year since, a new stamp and a limited number of collectable prints of the stamp images were created, and the monies raised from their sale are dedicated to conserving critical wetland habitats in Vermont .

Vermont ’s Waterfowl Fund was established with receipts from the sale of the stamps and prints. Interest earned from the Fund is earmarked for wetland acquisition and enhancement projects. To date, over $3.5 million has been raised in receipts and interest.

The Fund is overseen by the Waterfowl Advisory Committee, which consists of private individuals from the waterfowling community. Since the Fund began, $1,053,533 of interest has been spent on conservation projects and $118,252 on expenses associated with the stamp and print program. To date, 70 projects have been completed with 8,469 acres of wetlands and adjacent uplands conserved or enhanced, which has benefitted scores of wildlife species that depend on wetland habitats.

Most of the revenue generated came in the early years of the program when the prints were avidly sought by collectors. Thanks to the vision of early Waterfowl Advisory Committee members Maurice Harvey, Ned Spear, Red Hooper, Carl Pagel and Mike Billig, Vermont was able to maximize its return on the nationwide interest in “first-of-state” duck stamps and prints by issuing its first stamp as part of a four-year series that highlighted the four seasons in Vermont. Since then, the market for duck stamps and prints has steadily declined in Vermont and across the country. Many other states have already discontinued issuing a paper duck stamp.

“We’re indebted to the original Waterfowl Advisory Committee members and former state waterfowl project leader Tom Myers for their foresight in creating such a successful program,” said state wildlife biologist Bill Crenshaw. “It’s to their credit that we currently have $2.3 million in the Waterfowl Fund, the interest from which will continue to conserve important wetland habitats for years to come.”

The 2010 Vermont duck stamp is available from Vermont hunting and fishing license agents statewide and the Fish and Wildlife Department. Beginning in 2011, duck stamp validation stickers will be available at license agents and on-line at vtfishandwildlife.com. The sticker will not have an image of a waterfowl species on it. It will be valid for the calendar year, and waterfowl hunters will no longer be required to sign their name on the stamp.

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.