MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says hunters are looking forward to Vermont’s upcoming October 5- November 1 and December 7-15 archery deer hunting season.

A hunter may take up to two deer in Vermont’s two-part archery season with the purchase of two archery licenses. No more than one of the deer taken during archery season may be a legal buck. Antlerless deer hunting is allowed statewide this year during archery season.

This year, a hunter may take up to three deer in a calendar year in any combination of seasons (Archery, Youth Weekend, November Rifle Season, December Muzzleloader). Of these, only two may be legal bucks, and only one buck may be taken in each season. A “legal buck” is a deer with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer. All three deer in the annual bag limit may be antlerless deer.

A new regulation that changes deer hunting rules will go into effect in 2020.

Hunters must have a standard hunting license in order to purchase an add-on archery deer hunting license, except that nonresidents may purchase an "archery only deer license" costing $75. Licenses may be quickly and easily purchased on Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).

Hunters planning a Vermont archery deer hunting trip should download a copy of the 2018 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report from Fish & Wildlife’s website or click here: https://tinyurl.com/y5lbheyx. It has the number of deer taken in each town in last year’s deer hunting seasons. Hunters took 3,984 deer during the 2018 archery season.

For more information and a summary of regulations, download the 2019 Deer Season Guide on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website athttps://tinyurl.com/y3yk7kuk. For more help, Email (fwinformation@vermont.gov) or call 802-828-1000.

VTF&W photo of deer by Dave Adams

Vermont’s archery deer season starts Saturday, October 5.

VTF&W photo of hunter in tree stand by John Hall

Media Contact: Mark.Scott@Vermont.Gov 802-777-4217