Hunting

Vermont's varied habitats are home to locally abundant populations of cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hare, and gray squirrels.

Vermont boasts the best wild turkey hunting in New England. Considered "Big Game" under Vermont law, you will easily understand why after hunting them. 

For many hunters, drawing a coveted moose hunting permit is the hunt of a lifetime. Moose are managed through a permit lottery system, by management unit, allowing the department to limit or expand the harvest numbers annually by region.

Find the answers to the frequently asked questions about hunting black bears in Vermont.

Vermont's most reclusive big-game animal is remarkably abundant. Vermont has one of the densest black bear populations in the country, most commonly found in the Green Mountains and Northeast Kingdom.

Here’s your opportunity to directly contribute to the management of deer, moose, and other wildlife species in Vermont.

What Is the Hunter Effort Survey?

This survey is like a diary, where hunters record how many hours they hunted and how many deer, moose, bears, or other wildlife they saw on each day they hunted during the various deer seasons.

The department is asking all successful 16-day regular November season hunters to provide a tooth from their buck, regardless of its size or age.

The tooth is used to accurately age the deer and provides information critical for managing Vermont's deer herd. We will publish the age information on our website in the spring.

You had a successful hunt. Now what. Check out these videos to learn how to get your deer from field to table.

Field Dressing Your Deer

Skinning Your Deer

Finding a place to hunt is relatively easy, but hunters tend to congregate where deer are most numerous, typically on lowland farm country where posting is also common. However, the hunter who shows respect for the landowner and asks for permission to hunt can often find private land to hunt on.

"Hunting" in Vermont means deer hunting. Almost all of the state's 73,000 resident hunters hunt deer at some point during the fall and more bucks are taken per square mile in Vermont than in any other New England state.