Youth and novice deer hunting weekend is Oct. 22-23

Hunters encouraged to bring deer to check stations  

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23 — STATEWIDE — Hunters who harvest a deer during Vermont’s Oct. 22-23 youth and novice deer weekend are encouraged to bring their deer to one of 19 biological reporting stations to help state wildlife biologists gather data on the health of Vermont’s deer population.

“We encourage youth and novice hunters to bring their deer to one of these biological reporting stations so they can directly contribute to deer management in Vermont,” said the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s deer project leader Nick Fortin. “Examining deer during this weekend is our best opportunity to assess the deer herd because hunters are allowed to harvest any deer, including spike bucks. Biologists will be collecting data on age, weight and antler development to help guide future deer management decisions.”

Hunters are required to report deer in person at a big game reporting station during youth and novice weekend. Online reporting will not be available. This requirement allows biologists to collect important information from as many deer as possible over the weekend.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife department will have personnel at the biological reporting stations listed below between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (unless the store closes earlier) for both days of the 2022 youth and novice weekend. A resident or nonresident 15 years old or younger on the weekend of the hunt and who has successfully completed a hunter education course must purchase a hunting license and obtain a free youth weekend deer tag. The requirements apply to all interested young hunters, including the children of landowners.

A resident or nonresident 16 years old or older on the weekend of the hunt who previously completed a hunter education course and who has purchased their first ever hunting license within the 12 months prior to the novice weekend must obtain a free novice weekend deer tag.  The requirements apply to all participating novice hunters, including novice hunters who are also landowners.

In both cases, the hunter must be accompanied by an unarmed adult over 18 years of age who holds a Vermont hunting license. The adult may accompany up to two youth or novice hunters.  The law requires the accompanying adult to have direct control and supervision of the hunters, including the ability to see and communicate without the aid of artificial devices such as radios or binoculars.

Landowner permission is required to hunt on private land during the youth and novice deer hunt weekend, and the hunters are encouraged to secure permission well in advance. Youth and novice hunters and their mentors are strongly encouraged to wear hunter orange.

A youth or novice hunter may take one deer of either sex on the Oct. 22-23 weekend, and the antler restrictions that apply in other deer seasons do not apply. Violation of the youth and novice deer hunting rules can result in a doubled fine that is assessed against the accompanying adult.

Vermont’s 2022 Deer Season Hunting Guide summarizing deer hunting rules is available on Fish and Wildlife’s website: vtfishandwildlife.com.