The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department now has information on its website about the 2023 controlled waterfowl hunts at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area in Addison and at Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area in Alburgh.
Applications for hunting at Mud Creek on October 10 and 12 may be downloaded from the website. Applications must be submitted electronically to anr.fwdcontrolledhunt@vermont.gov or postmarked and returned no later than August 25, 2023 to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452.
Hunting on October 10 and 12 at Mud Creek will be by lottery drawing only, and blind sites will be assigned at the time of the permit lottery. Any vacancies due to “no-shows” on those days will be filled on the morning of the hunt with a self-check-in process. All other Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, except for opening day on Saturday, October 7, during the open season will be self-registration days with permits available at the Mud Creek operations building.
Controlled goose hunting at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area will be by lottery drawing with hunting zones assigned at the time of the permit drawing. Any vacancies due to “no-shows” on hunting days will be filled on the morning of the hunt with a self-check-in process. Standby permits will be available at the Dead Creek check-in kiosk.
Friday, October 20 is a junior hunter day at Dead Creek. Only hunters 17 years of age or younger on October 20 may self-register. Junior hunters must have an adult present, and one additional guest is allowed for a total of 3 in the party.
A drawing to award hunting permits will be held Friday, September 1, at 12:00 Noon at the Fish and Wildlife Department office at 111 West Street, Essex Junction. Attendance is not required. Successful applicants will be notified by mail.
Duck season opens on October 7 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones, and on October 5 in the Connecticut River Zone. The Lake Champlain Zone has a split season (October 7-11; November 4-December 28); the Interior Vermont Zone is a straight season (October 7-December 5); and the Connecticut River Zone has a split season (October 5-November 3; November 22-December 21).
A statewide early hunting season to control Vermont’s population of resident Canada geese will occur September 1-25. A second Canada goose hunting season will be held October 14-November 27 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones. A late resident Canada goose season will run from Dec. 1 to Jan. 6 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones and Dec. 22 to Jan. 6 in the Connecticut River Zone (land portion only, not CT River waters). Canada goose hunting in the Connecticut River Zone will occur October 5-November 3 and November 22 -December 21.
Snow goose hunting is open from October 1- December 31 in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont Zones and October 4-December 21 in the Connecticut River Zone.
Be sure to read the 2022-2023 Syllabus of State and Federal Hunting Regulations for Migratory Birds available on Fish and Wildlife’s website.