New Deer Hunting Regulations
- Details
- Created on Monday, 04 May 2020 12:59
- Written by Sarah-Ellen Calise
VERMONT- After an easy winter for Vermont Deer, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has released new regulations for deer hunting in 2020. The Fish and Wildlife department has gone back to a one buck annual limit.
Over the past several years the Fish and Wildlife department has been instituting small changes to deer regulations. However, after an easy winter, repercussions from last years tough winter will result in minimal population growth.
The department has recommended that there be a harvest of 10,147 antlerless deer. This antlerless harvest is allowed during archery and youth/novice season in all Wilde Management Units (WMU). 6,385 antlerless deer can be harvested by permit in late October during the antlerless-only muzzleloader season and during the December muzzleloader season.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife's deer biologist Nick Fortin says, "New deer hunting regulations that take effect this year will help to increase antlerless harvests in the areas where it is most needed. The total recommended permit allocation is the same as in 2019, although the distribution of those permits is different, and more antlerless deer are expected to be harvested.”
Annual recommendations are based on population estimates, deer sightings reported by hunters, biological data, the severity of the winter, and input from game wardens.
If there are any questions, the Fish and Wildlife Department is holding two electronic public hearings for input on deer May 11 &12. These meetings are scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Public comment on deer will be taken until May, 16th.