The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board will hold two more public hearings on May 9 and 17 to solicit input on deer and the department’s 2023 Antlerless Harvest and Youth/Novice Season Recommendation.
The hearings are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Tuesday, May 9 – Middlebury Union Middle School, 48 Deerfield Ln, Middlebury, VT 05753
Wednesday, May 17 – Montpelier High School, 5 High School Dr, Montpelier, VT 05602
“Recent management efforts have successfully balanced deer numbers with what the habitat can support in many parts of Vermont,” said Nick Fortin, deer and moose project leader for the Fish and Wildlife Department. “As a result, the 2023 recommendation aims to maintain current deer numbers in most of the state.”
Deer populations in eight wildlife management units, primarily in the Champlain Valley, remain above their respective population objectives, and increased antlerless harvests are recommended in those areas to reduce deer numbers.
The department’s 2023 Antlerless Harvest and Youth/Novice Season Recommendation is available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.
In addition to the public hearings, anyone can leave a comment on the proposals by emailing ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov. Comments must be received by May 19.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information. Please send an e-mail to Nick.Fortin@vermont.gov or call 802-793-8777 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY).