Vermont Hunting Seasons 2023-2024 New Regulations & Dates!

The 2023-2024 Vermont Hunting Seasons ensure exhilarating experiences and great memories for hunters of all levels. Vermont has over 800,000 acres of federal and state-owned public hunting land. State parks allow hunting off-season. Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) Vermont’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)  network is a fantastic hunting resource. Except in some areas marked off, all WMAs are accessible for wildlife-related outdoor activities including as hunting, trapping, fishing, and more.

Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or someone who’s thinking about giving it a try, there are a few things you need to know about Vermont’s hunting season. In this page, we’ll discuss the dates, regulations, and permits you’ll need in order to hunt in Vermont.

Vermont Hunting Season

Vermont offers a number of different hunting opportunities, from big game hunts to small game hunts. Check out the hunting season dates and conditions below to make your hunting season enjoyable.

Vermont Deer Season

Vermont’s deer season begins on October 1 and concludes on December 1. There are 21 WMUs in the state (WMU). Archery, Antlerless, Regular, and Muzzleloader seasons all begin and end on the same days. The weekend will be dedicated to young hunters. WMUs disagree on what constitutes a “Legal Buck.”

Vermont residents are only allowed to take four deer each year, with only one being a buck. Please continue reading for information on when and how many deer you may hunt, as well as any restrictions.

Vermont DeerSeason	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Archery (except closed during regular November season)	1-Oct	15-Dec
Youth Deer Weekend	21-Oct	22-Oct-23
Novice Weekend	21-Oct	22-Oct-23
Muzzleloader Antlerless	26-Oct	29-Oct-23
November Regular	11-Nov	26-Nov-23
Muzzleloader	2-Dec	10-Dec-23

Moose Season

Vermont Moose Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Moose (Archery)	1-Oct	7-Oct
Moose (Regular)	15-Oct	20-Oct

Bear Season Bobcat Season

Vermont Bear Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Black Bear (Early Season)	1-Sep	10-Nov
Black Bear (Resident Black Bear Hunters with use of dogs by permit)	1-Sep	19-Nov
Black Bear (Nonresident Black Bear Hunters with use of dogs by permit )	15-Sep	19-Nov

Coyote Season

Vermont Coyote Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Coyote	1-Jan	31-Dec	Open year round. There is no limit.

Fox Season

Vermont Fox Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Fox – Red & Gray	22-Oct-22	12-Feb-23
	28-Oct-23	11-Feb-24

Duck Season

Vermont Duck Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Duck (Lake Champlain)	15-Oct	23-Oct
	29-Oct	8-Nov
Duck (Interior Vermont Zone)	15-Oct	13-Dec
	4-Nov	13-Dec
Duck (Late Connecticut River)	4-Oct	6-Nov
	23-Nov	18-Dec

Geese Season

Vermont Geese Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Canada Geese
Lake Champlain Zone	1-Sep	25-Sep
	15-Oct	13-Nov
	1-Dec	21-Jan
Interior Vermont Zone	1-Sep	25-Sep
	15-Oct	13-Nov
	1-Dec	21-Jan
Connecticut River Zone	1-Sep	25-Sep
	4-Oct	6-Nov
	23-Nov	18-Dec
Applies to land, not CT River waters	19-Dec	21-Jan
Snow Geese (includes blue geese)
Lake Champlain Zone	1-Oct	31-Dec
	26-Feb	10-Mar
Interior Vermont Zone	1-Oct	31-Dec
	26-Feb	10-Mar
Connecticut River Zone	4-Oct	18-Dec
Applies to land, not CT River waters	11-Mar	23-Apr
Conservation Order (CO)
Lake Champlain Zone	11-Mar	23-Apr
Interior Vermont Zone	11-Mar	23-Apr

Grouse Season

Vermont Grouse Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Ruffed Grouse	Saturday, September 24, 2022	Saturday, December 31, 2022

Rabbit Season

Vermont Rabbit Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Rabbit (Hare)	Saturday, September 24, 2022	Sunday, March 12, 2023	WMUs D&E remain open through March 31.

Vermont Furbearer Hunting Season

Vermont Furbearer Season	Hunting Season Start Date	Hunting Season Start Date
Bobcat	10-Jan	7-Feb
Muskrat	20-Mar	19-Apr
Raccoon	8-Oct	31-Dec
Red & Gray Fox	22-Oct	12-Feb
	28-Oct	11-Feb
Coyote	There is No Open Season
Fisher, Otter, Beaver	There is No Open Season
Marten, Lynx, Wolf	There is No Open Season

Vermont Furbearer Trapping Season

Vermont Furbearer Trapping Season	Season Start Date	Season End Date
Mink, Skunk, Red and Gray Fox,Raccoon, Coyote, Opossum, Weasel	22-Oct	31-Dec-23
Otter	28-Oct-23	31-Mar-24
Muskrat	28-Oct-23	31-Mar-24
Beaver	28-Oct-23	31-Mar-24
Bobcat	1-Dec	16-Dec-23
Fisher	1-Dec	31-Dec-23
Marten, Lynx, Wolf	There is No Open Season

Vermont Small Game Season

Vermont Small Game Season	Hunting Season Start Date	Hunting Season Start Date	Note
Crow	20-Jan-23	11-Apr-23	Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only
	25-Aug-23	18-Dec-23	Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only
Gray Squirrel	1-Sep	31-Dec-23
Hare & Rabbit	30-Sep-23	10-Mar-24	All WMUs till March 31st, except D and E.
Hare & Rabbit	30-Sep-23	31-Mar-24	WMUs D, E

Vermont Upland Birds Season

Vermont Upland Birds Season	Hunting Season Start Date	Hunting Season Start Date
Ruffed Grouse (Partridge)	24-Sep	31-Dec
Woodcock (Statewide )	24-Sep	7-Nov

Vermont Waterfowl & Migratory Season

Vermont Waterfowl Season	Hunting Season Start Date	Hunting Season Start Date	Note
Snow Goose	11-Mar	22-Apr	permit required
Waterfowl	Refer to Migratory Game Bird Seasons Below		Youth Weekend
Ducks, Coots, Mergansers, Canada Geese & Brant	Refer to Migratory Game Bird Seasons Below
Games	Connecticut River Zone	Interior Vermont Zone	Lake Champlain Zone
Ducks, Coots and Mergansers	Oct 4 - Nov 6	Oct 15 - Dec 13	Oct 15 - Oct 23
	Nov 23 - Dec 18		Oct 29 - Dec 18
Scaup	Oct 4 - Nov 6	Oct 15 - Nov 3	Oct 15 - Oct 23 &
	Nov 23 - Dec 18	Nov 4 - Dec 13	Oct 29 - Nov 8
			Nov 9 - Dec 18
	Sept 1 - Sept 25
Canada Geese	Oct 4 - Nov 6	Sept 1 - Sept 25	Sept 1 - Sept 25
	Nov 23 - Dec 18	Oct 15 - Nov 13	Oct 15 - Nov 13
	Dec 19 - Jan 21 (applies to land, not CT River waters)	Dec 1 - Jan 21	Dec 1 - Jan 21
Snow Geese (includes blue geese)	Oct 4 - Dec 18	Oct 1 – Dec 31, 2022	Oct 1 - Dec 31, 2022
	Mar 11 – Apr 23, 2023 (applies to land, not CT River waters)	Feb 26 – Mar 10, 2023	Feb 26 – Mar 10, 2023
Conservation Order (CO)		Mar 11 – Apr 23, 2023	Mar 11 – Apr 23, 2023
Brant	Oct 4 - Nov 6	Oct 15 - Dec 3	Oct 15 - Dec 3
	Nov 23 - Dec 8
Woodcock and Wilson’s Snipe			Statewide Sept 24 - Nov 7

Vermont Turkey Season

Vermont Turkey Season	Hunting End Date	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date
Youth Weekend (statewide)	1 bearded turkey	The weekend before the start of spring turkey
Novice Weekend (statewide)	1 bearded turkey	The weekend before the start of spring turkey
Spring	2 bearded turkeys	1-May	31-May
Fall - Archery only (statewide)	1of either sex	7-Oct	20-Oct
Fall Archery or Shotgun (WMUs B, D, G, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, and Q)	1 of either sex	October 21	29-Oct
Fall Archery or Shotgun (WMUs F, K and N)	1 of either sex	21-Oct	5-Nov

Vermont Hunting  Regulations

Location

Vermonters are proud of their subsistence farming roots. Hunting is significant in local culture. However, the privilege of hunting is protected by the Vermont Constitution.

“The residents of this state shall be allowed to hunt and fowl on their own land and on unenclosed grounds,” Article 67 declares. And these means, unless otherwise specified, hunters may hunt anywhere in Vermont. Except on weekends, young, inexperienced hunters may shoot turkeys and deer without parental supervision.

On private property, hunters may hunt without the landowner’s permission, but they must inquire beforehand. Respectful hunters are more likely to get admission.

Hunting Permit & License

Vermont issues deer hunting licenses. You may acquire a hunting license at a district office, an agent, or online. Town clerks and sports businesses are common.

Vermont invites out-of-state hunters. However, a state hunting license is necessary. Your home state’s hunting license will not be accepted.

Available licenses include yearly and five-year. They offer lifetime licenses in addition to one-year licenses. One-year-olds and seniors receive discounts.

Young hunters pay less. Vermont allows “combination” hunting and fishing licenses.

In Vermont, deer must be tagged. Licenses include tagging. During open hunting season, a hunting or combination license includes one deer tag. Remember that “legal” differs by Wildlife Management Unit.

Deer Hunting Regulations

Here are some deer hunting advice for Vermont. This is not an exhaustive list; read the Vermont hunting handbook and follow all rules before your first trip.

• Hunting on private property with a “No Hunting” sign is prohibited unless the proprietor has given written authorization.

• While it is not obligatory, Vermonters are encouraged to wear hunter orange outside. In the woods, wear a hunter orange cap so that people can see you.

• For deer hunting, fully automatic rifles and suppressed firearms are prohibited.

• Artificial lights cannot be used to hunt or find deer.

• Shooting a deer from a vehicle, truck, snowmobile, ATV, speedboat, aircraft, or towed trailer is forbidden. Permanently handicapped hunters who have a valid hunting license may hunt from a vehicle.

• Pedestrians are not authorized on the right-of-way or interstates. Rest stops and pullouts aren’t ideal for parking in remote deer hunting locations.

• Deer hunting is prohibited on public roadways. Street shooting is also forbidden. Infringers may be fined $1,000.

• It is illegal to use airplanes or remote-controlled drones to hunt deer.

• Dogs are not permitted to be used by deer hunters. To protect deer, dog owners must restrict their dogs from pursuing or disturbing wildlife. Dogs that irritate deer may be killed by game wardens or other law enforcement, and their owners’ licenses may be punished or revoked. Even though the deer is not yours, you should not take it if it is being hunted by hounds.

• On state land, it is illegal to use nails, bolts, screws, wire, or chain to penetrate the bark of a tree.

• Deer may be shot 30 minutes before and after dawn and sunset.

• Apples, bananas, and other natural foods are not permitted to be utilized to lure deer into hunting or trapping zones.

• It is forbidden to hunt deer in a river, lake, or pond.

• The WMU may have a different definition of “Legal buck.” Bucks lacking two-pointed antlers are not allowed in the eastern or western WMUs. Antlers with points are at least one inch long. Legal bucks in the Central and Northeast WMUs have one 3-inch antler.

Rules for Importing Deer, Elk

Importing Deer, Elk Regulation	Details
Purpose of Regulation	To protect Vermont's wild deer from chronic wasting disease (CWD).
What is CWD	A fatal disease affecting the brain and nervous system in deer and elk, caused by abnormal prion proteins.
Risk of Transmission	CWD prion proteins can be introduced to the environment through bodily fluids and persist for extended periods.
Import and Possession Rules	• It's illegal to import or possess deer or elk, or parts of them, from states/provinces with CWD, except for specific exceptions. • Regulations apply to both captive and wild animals.
Allowed Exceptions for Import/Posession	• Meat properly processed and labeled with hunting license information, not mixed with other deer or elk. • Boneless meat. • Hides or capes with no head attached. • Clean skull-cap with antlers attached. • Antlers with no other meat or tissue attached. • Finished taxidermy heads. • Upper canine teeth with no tissue attached.
States and Provinces Affected by the Regulations (CWD)	Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.
Penalties for Violations	Up to $1,000 fine and loss of hunting/fishing licenses for one year per illegally imported deer or elk.
Prohibition on Deer Urine-based or Body Fluid Attractants	The use of natural deer urine-based or deer body fluid attractant scents is prohibited in Vermont due to the CWD threat.

Contacts for Vermont Hunting Season

You may find maps of WMAs on the Fish & Wildlife website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) and in the handbook “Guide to Wildlife Management Areas of Vermont, easily obtainable by way of an online store.

Visit the website, contact (802) 828-1000, or Facebook page to find out more about hunting in Vermont.

Please visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com for information about hunting on non-state owned property.

FAQ on Vermont Hunting Seasons

Where can I hunt a Deer in Vermont?

Northern and southern west parts of the state and the Connecticut River valley are home to the greatest concentrations of deer. There are fewer deer in the eastern part of the state, namely in the higher altitudes that run north and south. However, these regions provide access to more inaccessible locations for those who want a lengthy hunting journey.

What to Do After Hunting a Deer in Vermont?

When you bring one home, apply for a license tag immediately. Use a paper or durable tag. Fill complete the tag with your name or conservation ID. After tagging a deer, the tag should be visible.

Once marked, you may process or taxidermize the deer. Labels must remain on carcasses throughout processing. You must inform and give over the deer’s corpse to Vermont Fish and Wildlife within 48 hours. Visit the nearest big game reporting station and complete the papers. Possible online report submission. Check Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website before the season to see whether electronic reporting is available.

Dates & Regulations Source: VT Fish and wildlife