“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.

Moose

* The 2010 moose hunt regulation, which initially would have created an October 2-9 archery moose hunt, was voted down. The Board will consider the proposal for 2011.
* A total of 765 either-sex moose hunting permits will be issued for a six-day hunt to be held October 16-21, 2010. A random draw lottery will be held in July.
* The deadline to apply for a moose hunting permit in the lottery is June 1. Applications are available on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) and at license agents statewide.

Turkey

The proposed fall turkey hunting season would include:

* Hunting with bow and arrow only — to be open 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.

You can read the two proposed regulations in their entirety on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com). Under “About Us,” click on Fish and Wildlife Board.

Tanner Colten Moad, 5 years old, is one of the coolest kids I know. The youngest of 4 children of mine, Tanner never stops moving.
Before gun season in central eastern Oklahoma, the traditional bow season usually takes priority. I had taken the first week of bow season off from work in an attempt to tag out early at the request of my wife Lori. In her mind, if I was to tag out early, my deer season would then be “dear” season, with lots of additional chores getting done that get overlooked during each year’s deer season.

As a bow hunter, I was able to harvest a doe pretty quick, and two days later, stuck a nice 8 point that only took two steps before falling over. I had watched that buck spare with a 9-point two days earlier, and was in hopes I could manage to get the edge on one of them as both were very big bodied deer. Well, upon getting the close up view of the 8-point I had just harvested, I realized that half way up one side of his G-2, his antlers were completely broken off. A few of his other tines were damaged as well, which led me to believe that the 9-point he had previously been sparing with, probably wasn’t sparing anymore.

With bow season quickly becoming gun season, my son Tanner, was getting pretty excited about going hunting with dad this year. I had to work the first day of the season, but promised to take him on Sunday. Sunday afternoon, around 3:00pm, I was off to the deer woods and had my little man right there with me on the 4-wheeler. We drove to a spot where not much hunting activity was going on, and climbed into the buddy stand that was located there. The buddy stand had the camouflage netting around its fall protective bars and I knew that if a deer did come in, that the anticipated movements of my son would go undetected.

To my surprise, Tanner, sat quietly in the stand with me, pulled out his binoculars, and commenced to scanning the woods all around. When a squirrel would drop an acorn from a tree, it would hit the leaves, and Tanner would turn quickly to identify what made the noise. He would whisper to me that he thought he heard something over there, or over there, and over there. I know this sounds crazy, but I loved every minute of watching him pay attention to what was going on in the woods around him. Now he was hungry, 15 minutes after we were in the stand. He pulled out a package of crackers and quietly munched on them while looking around. We switched positions about 10 times, so he could see everything. He would ask me questions about all kinds of woods activities and now sat in my lap to get a better view. About 1 and ½ hours in the stand now, Tanner started doing the chicken head. You know, when someone is trying desperately not to fall asleep, but their eyes roll back, and their heads starts popping up. Well, it wasn’t long before “Mr. Energy” was resting against my arm, quietly sleeping.

Soon as Tanner decided to snooze, I elected to stay in the stand since there was only about 30 minutes left of daylight. So I positioned Tanner so he could lay down across the buddy stand seat that was covered with a camouflage blanket, and I would stand up. After positioning Tanner towards comfort, I stood up in the stand, now facing the rear, and spotted a nice buck standing there watching me. I touched Tanner on the face and arm attempting to wake him from his afternoon nap. I whispered to him “Tanner, there is a deer, wake up”. No response. So I looked back up the deer was gone. I positioned my rifle across the stand bars and waited for the deer to exit the brush. Just as I thought, he walked right through the opening in the brush headed for the deep woods. I announced I was there with a mouthed made “grunt”. He stopped and “bang”. As soon as the shot rang out, “Tanner, jumped up, wide eyed and said “Did I GET HIM?. Excited now, he really wanted to know if he got a deer. I smiled at him and excitedly said yes son, you got a big old buck. He jumped up and down in the stand and hugged me, and said “Well, where is he? Let’s go get him.” His little voice was squeaking high and low with excitement. This was his first experience in the deer woods hunting, and man he sure loved it, as did I. We climbed down the stand together, and went to where the buck was standing. I showed him the blood on the ground and explained to him that he should walk beside the blood, not in it, when he was tracking a deer. He started to walk beside the trail when he squeaked again. “I found him, he is right there” pointing. All of these events happening so fast, I wanted them to slow down some so I could savor the enjoyment of watching him. I showed him the caution of approaching a wounded or dead animal, helped him count the points on the antlers, and hugs and pride just rushed through me. After all, this hunt was supposed to be all about him.

He helped me load the deer on the 4-wheeler, and away we went to show the family. Close to the house now, I walked beside the 4-wheeler and allowed Tanner to drive up to the house. Picture this, A five year old boy, dressed in a camouflage shirt and orange hat with vest, driving a ranch 4-wheeler with a rifle in the rack on the front, and a 140 pound 8-point deer strapped to the utility rack in the back, coming out of the deer woods and driving up to the house with his mother waiting for him with a camera. Wouldn’t you be proud? I know I was. Tanner will never forget his first deer hunt, but neither will I. I think Lori, my wife and his mother, took a million pictures that evening.
Not only that, but he beat me this year with his deer. Mine during bow season was 150 pounds, but his rack was bigger. It is good to start them off young.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

The Fish and Wildlife Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed regulation Tuesday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State Street in Montpelier .

The proposal calls for a harvest of about 8,200 antlerless deer through a combination of either-sex hunting during the split archery season, an either-sex youth weekend hunt, and by issuing 25,600 muzzleloader season antlerless permits.

According to the proposal, 23 of Vermont ’s 24 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) would be open to the taking of antlerless deer during the archery season. WMU-E in northeastern Vermont would remain closed to antlerless deer hunting during archery season. Two deer would be allowed during archery season with two archery licenses. One legal buck would be allowed anywhere in the state during archery season. In WMUs open to antlerless deer hunting, both deer taken during the archery season could be antlerless deer.

Youth deer weekend on November 6-7 is proposed to be an either-sex season statewide. Any buck could be taken during this season, regardless of antler length or points.

Muzzleloader season antlerless permits are proposed for 21 of the 24 WMUs. Higher numbers of permits are proposed for WMUs with the highest deer densities with consideration for the size of the Unit as well.

The department’s deer biologist, Dr. Shawn Haskell, points out that Vermont ’s deer population is healthy with heavy fawns and yearling bucks, and good reproductive potential. After a mild winter statewide, more antlerless deer permits are needed to keep the population from growing and becoming overabundant.

Haskell says Vermont ’s deer have not only increased in number since 2005 but also in size. Fawns taken in the 2009 hunting season weighed an average five pounds heavier than they did ten years ago. He also reports that the antler regulation change that began in 2005 is contributing to more older bucks being in the population and increased hunter satisfaction.

The definition of a “legal buck” will remain any white-tailed deer with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer.

The proposed regulation governing the taking of antlerless deer in 2010 is posted on the Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Under “Law Enforcement,” click on Rules and Proposed Rules. A link at the end of the regulation will take you to the department’s Antlerless and Youth Deer Recommendation.

Antlerless permit applications should be available in late June or early July on Fish & Wildlife’s website and at license agents. The deadline to apply will be August 26. In WMUs that have permits unallocated after the initial lottery, there will be opportunity for hunters to purchase a permit if they do not have one, or they may purchase a permit after having filled one. The annual 3-deer bag limit still applies.

People often mistakenly assume that young animals they see alone are helpless, lost or in trouble and need rescuing. Taking young wildlife from the wild into a human environment is not a good idea and is against the law. The results are often permanent separation from their mother and almost always a sad ending for the animal.

Handling wildlife also involves threats to the people involved. Diseases as well as angry mothers can pose significant dangers. Moose and bear are especially dangerous and can be expected to attack humans in the vicinity of their young.

Understanding the behavior of animals in the spring and early summer can help people resist the urge to assist wildlife in ways that may do more harm than good.

* Deer and moose nurse their young at different times during the day, and their young are often left alone for long periods of time. These animals are not lost. Their mother knows where they are and will return.

* Young birds chirping on the ground may have left their nest and be signaling their parents to feed them.

* Young animals such as fox and raccoon will often follow their parents. The family of a “wandering” animal searching for food is usually nearby but just out of sight to a person happening upon it.

* Animals that act sick can carry rabies, parasites or other harmful diseases. Do not handle these animals. Even healthy-looking raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats also may be carriers of the deadly rabies virus.

* Obey signs that restrict access to wildlife nesting areas, including hiking trails that may be temporarily closed. Many wildlife species will not feed or care for their young when people are close.

* Keep domestic pets indoors, leashed or fenced in. Dogs and cats kill many baby animals each year.

* Avoid projects that remove trees, shrubs and dead snags that contain bird and other nests during the spring and summer.

For general information about rabies and nuisance wildlife, call the Vermont

Rabies Hotline at 1-800-472-2437. If bitten or in direct contact with a raccoon, fox, skunk, or bat, or a domestic animal that has been in contact with one of these species, call the Vermont Department of Health at 1-800-640-4374. Report wild animals suspected of having rabies to your local Vermont State Game Warden directly or via state police radio dispatch.

Taking a wild animal into captivity is against the law. Contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department at 1-802-241-3700 if you any questions.

Applications are available at license agents statewide. Those applications must be postmarked no later than June 1, or delivered by 4:30 p.m. on that day to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in Waterbury .

Applications are also available on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Under “Hunting and Trapping,” click on Lottery Applications. Online applications must be entered by midnight, June 1.

Lottery applications are $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Winners of the permit lottery will purchase resident permits for $100 and nonresident permits for $350.

Proposed hunting season dates for this moose season are October 16-21, 2010. A total of 765 either-sex moose hunting permits will be issued for this season, and 400-450 moose are expected to be taken. Regulations for this season allow the hunter to take moose with certain firearms or bow and arrow.

A lottery to issue hunting permits for a separate archery moose hunting season October 2-9, 2010 is being considered and may be announced in June.

“Our goal is to manage Vermont ’s moose population to keep it in balance with available habitat,” said Cedric Alexander , Vermont ’s lead biologist on moose. “Carefully constructed hunting regulations enable us once again to enjoy having moose in Vermont on a sustainable basis, while their numbers are maintained at levels that fit habitat capacity and the needs of people.”