Vermont Fish & WildlifeHunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day rifle deer season that begins Saturday, November 10 and ends Sunday, November 25, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. A hunter may take one buck during this season with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer. A point must be one inch or longer from base to tip. The main beam counts as a point, regardless of length. Spike-antlered deer, mostly yearlings, are protected during this season.
“There are more deer in Vermont than there have been in recent years with the greatest numbers of deer found in the southwestern and northwestern regions of the state,” said Deer Project Leader Nick Fortin.
Vermont’s regular hunting licenses, including a November rifle season buck tag and a late season bear tag (for Nov. 10-18), cost $26 for residents and $100 for nonresidents. Hunters under 18 years of age get a break at $8 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Licenses are available on Fish & Wildlife’s web site and from license agents statewide.
Fish & Wildlife urges hunters to wear a fluorescent orange hat and vest to help maintain Vermont’s very good hunting season safety record.
A 2018 Vermont Deer Hunting Guide can be downloaded from the department’s website atwww.vtfishandwildlife.com. The guide includes a map of the Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), season dates, regulations, and other helpful information.
Hunters who get a deer on opening weekend of rifle season can help Vermont’s deer management program by reporting their deer at one of the biological check stations
listed below that will be staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., unless the store closes earlier, on November 10 and 11:
Marty’s Sports & Gunsmithing – Bennington
Jericho General Store – Jericho
St. Marie’s – Swanton
Wright’s Enterprises – Newport
Keith’s Country Store – Pittsford
R&L Archery – Barre
Guilford Country Store – Guilford
Barnie’s Market – Concord
A&B Beverage – Grand Isle
Singleton’s Store – Cavendish
Biologists are collecting middle incisor teeth from November season deer in order to evaluate regional differences in ages of bucks as well as to help estimate population size, growth rate, health, and mortality rates. Each tooth will be cross-sectioned to accurately determine the deer’s age, and the results will be posted on the Fish & Wildlife website next spring.
Hunters who don’t make it to a biological reporting station are asked to obtain a tooth envelope from their regular reporting agent. Write your name, Conservation ID number and date of kill on it. Remove one of the middle incisor teeth, being careful to include the root. Place the tooth in the envelope and give it to the reporting agent.
Hunters Should Stay ‘Tick Smart’
As Vermonters head out deer hunting this fall, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reminds hunters to be ‘tick smart’ to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. When wading through high grass and brush or sitting still along the edges of fields and forests, hunters can easily pick up a tick.
According to officials from the Department of Health, November is one of the high-points in the year for reports of tick bites and annual cases of Lyme disease continue to rise in Vermont.
Hunters can help reduce their risk of tick bites by following these tips from the Vermont Department of Health:
PROTECT– Before you go outside, apply an EPA-registered insect repellent on your skin and treat your clothes with permethrin. When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and tuck your pants into your socks to keep ticks from your skin.
CHECK– Do daily tick checks on yourself, your children and pets.
REMOVE– Remove ticks right away. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has also been proven effective in washing ticks off the skin before they attach. Put clothing into the dryer on hot heat for 10 minutes to kill remaining ticks.
WATCH– If you were bitten by a tick, watch for signs of disease during the weeks following the bite. Call your health care provider if you experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, or joint pain.
For more tips on staying tick safe outdoors, go towww.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/tickborne-diseases/prevent-tick-bites-tickborne-diseases
F&W Website Helps with Learning How Best to Process Deer
Making the most of these meals starts with the immediate processing of game correctly which is why the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department now has three online videos demonstrating how to process deer.
“Correctly processing game can make a big difference in the taste of the meat,” said Nicole Meier, an information and education specialist with the department.“Taking the time to do it correctly assures that you and your family will have many enjoyable meals ahead.”