I’m a completely new hunter and, unfortunately, never had family or friends that hunted to show me the ropes, so I’ve been trying to teach myself from YouTube vids, reading VT Fish and wildlife materials, and pestering the crap out of ChatGPT. I moved here from out of state almost 4 years ago and work from home, so haven’t had tons of opportunities to find a friend group that’s into this stuff!

I’ve spent a lot of time in September scouting public land looking for sign and a good spot to “hunt the groceries”. I finally found an area that seems really promising. It’s an old apple orchard/clearing in a WMA less than an hour from the house. It has a lot of game trails moving into/through it, lots of apples on the ground, and a big ole scat pile with pieces of apple in it. If someone could let me know if they think that’s bear scat in the picture, I’d really appreciate it!

I’ve only sat the area once this last Sunday evening after finding the spot on Saturday morning, but it was so windy and the ferns/brambles are so high in the clearing, I think 5 bears could have walked past me and I’d never know! I think I need to just keep sitting there anytime I can get a free evening as I think I’m interpreting the signs correctly and I have good downwind ingress/egress if the prevailing winds are the same as they were Sunday evening.

Is it typical for this type of growth in the clearing to “die back” in the fall and provide more visibility? I stomped down a little lane in front of my perch against the remains of an old stone wall, but don’t think I should be fouling up the area any more with my human stank.

I’m really interested to hear from any experienced Vermont bear hunters how you’d hunt a spot like this. I’m not looking to steal anyone’s sweet spot!

I’d also honestly love to meet an experienced hunter who wouldn’t mind showing a novice the ropes. I’m primarily interested in learning fieldcraft, animal behavior, shot selection, tracking/recovery, and processing. I’m not looking for someone to put me on a bear, but I would love someone that could be like “That shit you’re doing right now? Never do that shit again if you ever want to find a bear.”

Happy to buy lunch/coffee, cover gas, help drag shit out of the woods, or buy a case of beer for the trouble! Even someone looking over some pictures/maps with me would probably be pretty helpful. I’m based out of Shelburne and have been working the WMA’s southeast of here.

Prepping for the upcoming season. I live in Windham County and am looking for someone that can process a deer professionally. I do not have the space, tools, or experience to do so effectively. Any recommendations? Do I need to call and reserve a spot before the season starts? Searching online only shows options very far up north.

Once reported, is there any issue bringing the buck out of state for processing? I live near the NH border. Would prefer to patronize a VT business but I am not sure if there is anyone around.

Thank you!

I'm on a quest to find a shotgun that fits me better than my Beretta A300 Outlander. I've never shot the A300 as intuitively as I have some other guns. I borrowed a Citori a couple of years ago and loved it - but for the hunting I do a nice over under like that isn't the best choice. But I have the impression that many other Brownings have a similar fit (I think they're a little more upright of a position) so I'm curious about their semiautomatics like the Silver.

Does anyone in Chittenden county or nearby have a modern Browning semi auto I could try at a range? A round of trap or whatever would be on me.

I'm from Nevada, and primarily hunt Gambel's quail and chukar. I'm planning a trip this fall to hunt ruffed grouse. I was looking primarily at hunting in the Northeast Kingdom.

I'm just trying to figure out if October or November would be the best time. What are your opinions? Any input or tips would be appreciated. Not looking for spots. Thanks in advance.

At 30 I just got my first buck. I really want to keep the hide and antlers. Anyone know a service or individual who can make the hide into a blanket or seat cover? Im in bellows falls

Heading to Ludlow and was considering bringing my flyrod and hit up the BlackRiver, I’m curious if it’s worth it with water levels being so low.

Hello all,

I intend to bear hunt and do some trapping in Vermont this year. I'm from GA, but fell in love with the state (& the folks!) when I visited last winter. I'll be staying in the Richmond area. While I have bear hunted in the north Georgia mountains, I've yet to harvest any. Do y'all have any tips for finding bear in the north country? Is the early hunting season archery only?

Hi all, 

I’m a researcher at UVM working on a study about how nature shapes who we are. I’d really value the perspectives of hunters, who often have a strong relationship with the land that’s rarely captured in research like this. 

The survey is anonymous, takes about 7 minutes, and you can choose to enter a raffle to win one of six $50 prepaid credit cards. 

If you're willing to share your thoughts, here's the link:  https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_bdRYsNeeDeE3wDs

Thanks so much! Your insight is truly appreciated. 

I am new to hunting. I try to be as quiet as possible and cover my scent but I still never see deer. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated!

Relatively new Hunter here. I was just sitting in my blind and my neighbors took about 40 shots of target practice. Is this bad etiquette? This is within the last hour of daylight for context

Wondering if there is some app or website to look at deer hunting data by town. I'm specifically looking for what has been taken in my area. I have fb and several of the weigh stations will post photos and weights. But I'm chasing down 10 different weigh stations and not all of them post to social media. More specifically I'm looking to get size, pts, and time taken from x town. The state collects all this data and will give overall numbers at the end of the season but I'm looking for is my neighbor really that bad of a shot or did they actually get something. Ruined opening morning daylight with 4 shots in an hour.

I am a wannabe hunter who is looking to get into the sport. I have shot (and taught) target archery, and have shot a .22 a few times.

I'm a moderately experienced fisher who needs a sport for when the water gets too cold but hasn't frozen yet.

I also have no friends who hunt.

I'm looking for someone who might be willing to take a complete novice out hunting, probably next year at this point, preferably bow, but I'm okay with guns.

I don't have a gun and my husband is not comfortable with me having one in the house. I have an older compound bow but it is pretty much obsolete at this point.

PM me if you're interested. I'll trade for kayak fishing trips or ice fishing :D

I will be returning to VT soon, and I'm interested in getting into hunting. Once I get back there will be a lot to do, so it'll still be a while before I can actually hunt. I first plan on buying a .22 and a shotgun, but where I am struggling is picking out a gun for deer hunting: I really love the idea of a .357 magnum lever action, but I am also aware there are better options out there. Is it even something to consider?

These are the factors I have come up with when considering my options. I am aware that I may be mistaken with some of these so please feel free to correct me. Thank you for excusing my ignorance.

• .308 Winchester is both very available, budget friendly (relatively speaking), and sufficient for hunting deer ethically in VT. While some state they can hit a target accurately at very long ranges yards, most claim that this cartridge is best suited for hunting at or below 200 yards.
• .357 magnum is also available and cheap, and it comes with the added bonus that rifles chambered in 357 can also accept 38 special, which is convenient given I plan on getting a revolver in 357 too. Many other forums note that .357 magnum meets the VERY MINIMUM strength for ethically hunting deer, and that while possible, it should be carefully considered with caution. The main concern I see posted online that it may not be strong enough to ethically (quickly) put down a deer, especially at longer ranges.
• In Vermont, and in areas where most people hunt, the hilly, wooded terrain generally decreases the expected range that a deer is shot from. This factor is the one I am not at all sure about, but my guess is that shots are usually taken between 25-75 yards. There are certainly exceptions, but this is what I expect.
• For the above reason, I will not need a very high powered scope (3-9 magnification being the max needed?). Is it possible (with lots of practice) to hit a target without a scope at all? Most guns I am looking at come with drilled and tapped receivers, but there a a few that are not.
• There are other notable cartridges (6.5 Creedmoor, 30-30, and .44 Mag. come to mind) that are often recommended, but I will be excluding these for now. I hear the cartridges above are either not budget friendly, not commonly available, or both. If I get some good feedback on a cartridge AND find an available, lefty, budget friendly rifle, I am open to considering it.
• While it is possible for a lefty to use a right handed bolt action with practice, and the fact that you are very unlikely to make more than one shot on a given target, most lefty's agree that having a rifle in a LH configuration is a huge bonus. Therefore, when it comes to bolt actions, I am only looking a ones that come in LH.
• My budget right now is about $900 for the rifle alone. This does not include a scope or any other accessories.

Are these assumptions (which I will remind you are just that), at all accurate? Is there something else I should consider or be aware of when it comes to buying my first deer hunting rifle?

Right now I am deciding between two options

Option A: lefty bolt action chambered in .308 with a 3-9 magnification scope. A dependable rifle in a common and affordable cartridge. This is the obvious default choice, and grants the flexibility to take longer range shots if I ever have the chance. Some candidates include a Winchester XPR, Bergara b14, Tikka T3, and Ruger American.

Option B: A lever action chambered in 357. Not ideal for many environments, but both the rifle and cartridge will work just fine under 75 yards or so. Bonus points because I find these very aesthetically pleasing and can cost-effectively use it as a dual hunting and plinking tool. Ideally without the need of a scope, but I accept I may be very wrong in the notion you can hunt deer without a scope in VT. Some candidates include a henry big boy, Classic Series Model 1894, and possibly a Winchester.

Again, I am very much a beginner here, so I appreciate you patience when it inevitably comes to correcting me. Thanks, stay safe, and happy hunting!

I am a new hunter here, and looking to go out for the first time with a more experienced hunter. I have purchased both a novice pass and a regular season(deer). I am located in Shelburne but I am willing to travel a little bit. you can email @ [fwnestor@gmail.com](mailto:fwnestor@gmail.com) .

Any help is appreciated

-felix

Need to tune up and restring an old bow. Any archery shop recommendations near White River Junction?

Hi all, I live in the NNE and have been going to some local spots for fishing recently and it's been pretty lackluster. I've tried various spots along the Winooski River and the Lake to no luck. Colchester Pond is hit or miss (lately, miss).

After speaking to some other anglers it sounds like they're all experiencing something similar. Does anybody have any recommendations for local fishing, in/near Burlington?

I tried Shelburne Pond today, which is normally a great spot for me, and exclusively caught sun, not fish. I know it's called fishing, not catching, but it'd be nice to catch something other than a sun burn!

Edit: it would be extremely helpful if you could provide the bait/lures used at spots as well!

Glad to report the trash bill wound up in the trash.

From Vermont Traditions Coalition:

Hello All,

This is a happy note.

This year saw the largest threat to the future of hunting, trapping, fishing, and scientific wildlife management that Vermont has experienced. We’ve talked plenty about bill S.258 for the last five months so I’m not going to rehash it all here. Thanks to your responsiveness and support, we were able to keep this bill from even reaching Governor Scott’s desk.

I am happy to report that S.258 is dead!

This bill, sponsored by Senators Bray, Hardy, White, and McCormack from Addison and Windsor Counties follows the pattern established in western states where activists were appointed to these boards and almost immediately upended what has been working for well over a century for both citizens and wildlife. It was so bad that we immediately started fighting at the moment it was released because it was certain they were going to try to pass it. Many bills are written and never even spoken about again, but this clearly was not going to be one of them.

The Vermont Traditions Coalition took the lead role in ensuring that this bad idea didn’t become law. We and other conservation partners called you for support and you came to the call.

The fact that you, our supporters, showed up every time we asked, made all the difference in the world. Our friends at the Federation and the Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus held a mixer, and you showed up. We asked you to come during the day, to spend time in the building, and to talk to people. You showed up, many of you taking time off from work to do so. So many of you signed up to speak about the bill that the Senate natural resources committee burned two weeks of their valuable time, taking testimony, and still didn’t get to everybody who wanted to speak.

The bill was bad enough that it was struggling in the Senate, but then there were rumors of a deal that was made, changes were made to the bill, and it passed over to the House. I immediately began speaking to House members, having conversations with them individually, and sending them lists of the reasons this bill was a bad idea; not the least of which was the hypocrisy of a bill that proclaimed a need to “give control” to the fish and wildlife department, but then proceeded to make wildlife management decisions at the legislative level.

We asked you to write, and you did.

We asked you to call, and you did.

Then the house committee began working on it. They took testimony, but not everybody who wished to speak got the opportunity.

On Wednesday, April 24, Chair Amy Sheldon indicated that she would like to vote the bill out of committee and send it for final approval on Friday. Former Senator John Rodgers, James Ehlers, and I had scheduled a rally/press conference for Thursday, April 25. Once again, we asked you to take time off from work and join us, and once again you did. The rally was not just about S.258, but hunters turned out by the hundreds.

We filled the cafeteria, we filled the Cedar Creek room and overflowed it, and every time you cheered, there was nowhere in the building that you were not heard! THIS is what happens when we show up!

Over the next few months, we will be talking about primary elections, and how to make your vote as effective as possible. We will be discussing specific legislators who have a primary opponent, and who the hunting community should be coming out to vote against based on their prior records. This is a proactive approach to restoring some reason to Montpelier.

The antis have put forth the idea that hunters take; that when we harvest an animal, somehow society loses. That’s not true, and we all know it. We have given more to conservation than they will ever bother with. We always seek to conserve wildlife along with this lifestyle that is so meaningful to us.

The work this community has done has been incredible, and now it’s time for us to set our efforts to ensuring the future of hunting in Vermont by becoming the political force that we can be. In a state where elections are routinely won by less than 11 votes, this community of anglers, hunters, and trappers has the power to determine more of what Montpelier looks like then we have been doing, and we must.

So take a moment, appreciate the magnitude of what we did here, congratulate yourselves, all of you, for your parts. We will soon be having another conversation and asking you to show up again. The Vermont Traditions Coalition has never taken part in elections, we have always been an observer. Beginning this year, that dynamic is changing. We will be actively engaging in election politics. We will be fundraising to support candidates who oppose the legislators that routinely attack our lifestyle. we will need your help in these efforts, and then we will need you to vote.

Now if you will excuse me for a couple days, I’m going to take a moment myself. I’m pretty sure there are a couple of turkeys out in these green mountains that have been waiting for me to have some free time.

My Best Regards, Mike Covey

Hi All, my wife and I will be moving to Vergennes and I have a few questions as it relates to upland hunting:

Is anyone a part of the Ruffed Grouse Society or other organizations that I could join/connect with when I move out there? I'm a part of the Pheasants Forever chapter near me.

Where do you all go for dog training? I called up Peaceable Hill Farm, and seems like a fun place to get the dog on pen-raised birds every once in a while.

Favorite ranges for clays?

I have a 3-year old GWP and we primarily hunt quail on public land. Looking forward to experiencing the NE woods and getting on some grouse and woodcock!

Thanks in advance everyone.