Celebrate The Winter Olympics While Skiing In The White Mountains
Gary Moore
December 18, 2025
I won’t make it to Milano Cortina, Italy for the Winter Olympics February 6-22 but I can dream of the excitement of the competition as I ski a couple of my favorite areas in the White Mountains.
White Mountain Nordic is offering the Chasing Gold Weekend Pass, a special two-day ticket valid at all six of its cross-country ski areas for just $26. Such a deal!
Skiers will receive a special Chasing Gold Punch Card that allows entry to each of the six centers over the weekend of Feb. 7-8.
The ski centers are: Bretton Woods, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring & Snowshoe Foundation, Bear Notch Ski Touring Center, and Purity Spring XC & Snowshoe Reserve.
For more information or to purchase passes, visit https://wmnordic.com/chasing-gold.
Deer Seasons Are Over
Deer hunting seasons have ended in Vermont and New Hampshire. Now all the deer have to worry about is being killed by a motor vehicle, domestic dogs or coyotes and starving to death when the snow gets too deep for them to access food.
Some very nice bucks were taken, a photo of one accompanies this column.
I will be writing about the results for the various seasons in the coming weeks and have interviews scheduled with Vermont deer project leader, Nick Fortin and Vermont Commissioner Jason Batchelder. I am working on arranging an interview with a New Hampshire Fish and Game person.
Tune in to WYKR 101.3 FM or 1100 AM on Thursday at 6 p.m. for The Outdoor Edge. Thoughts on the Out-of-Doors airs as a segment of the program. I will have as my guest, Dave McLam, the Bradford wildlife butcher whose clients come from all over Vermont and New Hampshire and beyond.
I always go to him for trends that he sees and anything unusual.
Bits and Pieces
N.H. Fish and Game conducts the Winter Turkey Flock Survey each year to monitor wild turkey abundance, distribution, survival, food shortage, and disease prevalence. Additionally, this winter the Wildlife Division is initiating a multi-year turkey research project across the state. Reports through this survey will be helpful in locating winter flocks to further this research effort. With support from the National Wild Turkey Federation, biologists will be trapping and leg banding wild turkeys to collect vital information on turkey population dynamics in New Hampshire. “Leg bands fitted on birds through this project will allow biologists to measure regional harvest rates,” said Dan Ellingwood, Turkey Project Leader with New Hampshire Fish and Game. “The rate of recovery of these bands on harvested birds will be used to validate indices used to monitor turkey population trends and to refine population estimates, strengthening long-term population management decision making.”
Residents with turkeys regularly using their property who are interested in supporting this research by allowing trapping on their property are asked to indicate so on the survey form and will be contacted by Department staff. All turkeys will be released on location immediately after banding.
The Winter Turkey Flock Survey survey runs from December 1 through March 31. Go to: www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/wild-turkeys-new-hampshire/turkey-surveys
***
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, which was established in 1988, works in cooperation with other state agencies and organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies to protect and enhance a diverse group of wildlife species. The Nongame Program, which relies on private donations, is once again seeking tax-deductible donations by December 31, 2025.
Nongame staff work to protect over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians as well as thousands of insects and invertebrates.
Each year the program must raise $100,000 through private contributions to receive a matching grant from the state.
To donate visit https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/nongame-and-endangered-species/donate-nongame-program.
***
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is accepting public comment on a proposal to increase the tuition for its Green Mountain Conservation Camp from $250 to $300.
In addition to the proposed GMCC tuition increase, the department is also proposing to increase day use fees for the buildings at its Buck Lake and Kehoe Education Centers.
Public comments can be submitted via email to ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov through December 24. More information on the proposed tuition and fee increases is available online at: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/about-us/commissioners-office/commissioners-rules.
***
Mark Breen reports in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac that on
December 1, 1972: “The first of two snowstorms began a snowy week, including 19 inches in Rochester, VT and Hanover, NH. In spite of one of the snowiest Decembers on record, the rest of the winter lacked the usual snow and cold.”
December 5, 1941: “Warmest December day of the 20th century; Enosburg Falls set the state record at 72.”
December 13, 1915: “One of the snowiest winters of the 20th century got underway with 1 to 2 feet of snow over Vermont and New Hampshire.”
December 21, “The Winter Solstice marks the calendar arrival of Winter at 10:03 a.m. EST.”
December 22-27, “Weather records at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury show a rise in average temperatures of about 2 degrees. This may not sound like much, but it’s persistence over the years suggests a Christmas thaw more years than not.”
Parting Shots
Last Monday a buck with high prong horns walked by my camera. Twenty-four hours later he came by again, this time with only one antler.
My brother Randy tells me he has seen a buck in his orchard that clearly has just nubs.
It seems early for them to drop their antlers, but the cameras confirm they have.
I contacted Nick Fortin, Vermont’s deer project leader, to ask and he replied. “It's a little early, but not abnormally so. It's fairly common for a few bucks to drop antlers during muzzleloader season. Usually, they are stressed from the rut or possibly injured, anything that causes their testosterone levels to drop quickly.”
***
Regular readers know that Linda has stage four cancer and all food and meds have to be administered through a G-Tube in her stomach. When being fed, she is connected to a bag that hangs on an IV pole.
Last Monday I was working in my office when I heard her holler to me. When I got down to the kitchen, I found her standing by the door holding her G-Tube in her hand still attached to the line from the bag.
It seems she got up to let Oak out while she was feeding and thus connected by a long tube to the bag attached to the IV pole. She opened the door and the 183 pound St. Bernard came between her and the pole and went out dragging the tube behind him.
That is not what one wants to see. A quick call to Norris Cotton Cancer Center North and arrangements were made to take her to DHMC where the IR staff installed a new one. We were on our way home in less than two hours.
***
The start of winter is days away but it has sure looked and felt like winter the past week. Record cold temps were common Friday and it remained cold most days. Snow at the gauge on Mt. Mansfield also set a record.
I went cross country skiing for the first time this season with a friend on Sunday a week ago. It was refreshing but enjoyable. I promised myself to get out more often.
I had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, meetings out of state on Wednesday and Thursday, teaching Thursday night and hazmat team training on Saturday so I will have to force myself to get out on my skis or snowshoes.
It seems I’m spending more time than usual hauling wood to keep our three stoves going. I love being able to sit and read by a hot stove and there is nothing better when coming in from the cold than to sit by a fire and sip hot coffee but supplying the stoves takes work.
We do have an oil furnace, but the wood costs me only labor and some fuel for my tractor, wood splitter and chainsaws. Besides cutting seven or eight cords of wood a year improves our woods and provides me with a great stress reliever.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2025 Gary W. Moore
White Mountain Nordic is offering the Chasing Gold Weekend Pass, a special two-day ticket valid at all six of its cross-country ski areas for just $26. Such a deal!
Skiers will receive a special Chasing Gold Punch Card that allows entry to each of the six centers over the weekend of Feb. 7-8.
The ski centers are: Bretton Woods, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring & Snowshoe Foundation, Bear Notch Ski Touring Center, and Purity Spring XC & Snowshoe Reserve.
For more information or to purchase passes, visit https://wmnordic.com/chasing-gold.
Deer Seasons Are Over
Deer hunting seasons have ended in Vermont and New Hampshire. Now all the deer have to worry about is being killed by a motor vehicle, domestic dogs or coyotes and starving to death when the snow gets too deep for them to access food.
Some very nice bucks were taken, a photo of one accompanies this column.
I will be writing about the results for the various seasons in the coming weeks and have interviews scheduled with Vermont deer project leader, Nick Fortin and Vermont Commissioner Jason Batchelder. I am working on arranging an interview with a New Hampshire Fish and Game person.
Tune in to WYKR 101.3 FM or 1100 AM on Thursday at 6 p.m. for The Outdoor Edge. Thoughts on the Out-of-Doors airs as a segment of the program. I will have as my guest, Dave McLam, the Bradford wildlife butcher whose clients come from all over Vermont and New Hampshire and beyond.
I always go to him for trends that he sees and anything unusual.
Bits and Pieces
N.H. Fish and Game conducts the Winter Turkey Flock Survey each year to monitor wild turkey abundance, distribution, survival, food shortage, and disease prevalence. Additionally, this winter the Wildlife Division is initiating a multi-year turkey research project across the state. Reports through this survey will be helpful in locating winter flocks to further this research effort. With support from the National Wild Turkey Federation, biologists will be trapping and leg banding wild turkeys to collect vital information on turkey population dynamics in New Hampshire. “Leg bands fitted on birds through this project will allow biologists to measure regional harvest rates,” said Dan Ellingwood, Turkey Project Leader with New Hampshire Fish and Game. “The rate of recovery of these bands on harvested birds will be used to validate indices used to monitor turkey population trends and to refine population estimates, strengthening long-term population management decision making.”
Residents with turkeys regularly using their property who are interested in supporting this research by allowing trapping on their property are asked to indicate so on the survey form and will be contacted by Department staff. All turkeys will be released on location immediately after banding.
The Winter Turkey Flock Survey survey runs from December 1 through March 31. Go to: www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/wild-turkeys-new-hampshire/turkey-surveys
***
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, which was established in 1988, works in cooperation with other state agencies and organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies to protect and enhance a diverse group of wildlife species. The Nongame Program, which relies on private donations, is once again seeking tax-deductible donations by December 31, 2025.
Nongame staff work to protect over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians as well as thousands of insects and invertebrates.
Each year the program must raise $100,000 through private contributions to receive a matching grant from the state.
To donate visit https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/nongame-and-endangered-species/donate-nongame-program.
***
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is accepting public comment on a proposal to increase the tuition for its Green Mountain Conservation Camp from $250 to $300.
In addition to the proposed GMCC tuition increase, the department is also proposing to increase day use fees for the buildings at its Buck Lake and Kehoe Education Centers.
Public comments can be submitted via email to ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov through December 24. More information on the proposed tuition and fee increases is available online at: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/about-us/commissioners-office/commissioners-rules.
***
Mark Breen reports in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac that on
December 1, 1972: “The first of two snowstorms began a snowy week, including 19 inches in Rochester, VT and Hanover, NH. In spite of one of the snowiest Decembers on record, the rest of the winter lacked the usual snow and cold.”
December 5, 1941: “Warmest December day of the 20th century; Enosburg Falls set the state record at 72.”
December 13, 1915: “One of the snowiest winters of the 20th century got underway with 1 to 2 feet of snow over Vermont and New Hampshire.”
December 21, “The Winter Solstice marks the calendar arrival of Winter at 10:03 a.m. EST.”
December 22-27, “Weather records at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury show a rise in average temperatures of about 2 degrees. This may not sound like much, but it’s persistence over the years suggests a Christmas thaw more years than not.”
Parting Shots
Last Monday a buck with high prong horns walked by my camera. Twenty-four hours later he came by again, this time with only one antler.
My brother Randy tells me he has seen a buck in his orchard that clearly has just nubs.
It seems early for them to drop their antlers, but the cameras confirm they have.
I contacted Nick Fortin, Vermont’s deer project leader, to ask and he replied. “It's a little early, but not abnormally so. It's fairly common for a few bucks to drop antlers during muzzleloader season. Usually, they are stressed from the rut or possibly injured, anything that causes their testosterone levels to drop quickly.”
***
Regular readers know that Linda has stage four cancer and all food and meds have to be administered through a G-Tube in her stomach. When being fed, she is connected to a bag that hangs on an IV pole.
Last Monday I was working in my office when I heard her holler to me. When I got down to the kitchen, I found her standing by the door holding her G-Tube in her hand still attached to the line from the bag.
It seems she got up to let Oak out while she was feeding and thus connected by a long tube to the bag attached to the IV pole. She opened the door and the 183 pound St. Bernard came between her and the pole and went out dragging the tube behind him.
That is not what one wants to see. A quick call to Norris Cotton Cancer Center North and arrangements were made to take her to DHMC where the IR staff installed a new one. We were on our way home in less than two hours.
***
The start of winter is days away but it has sure looked and felt like winter the past week. Record cold temps were common Friday and it remained cold most days. Snow at the gauge on Mt. Mansfield also set a record.
I went cross country skiing for the first time this season with a friend on Sunday a week ago. It was refreshing but enjoyable. I promised myself to get out more often.
I had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, meetings out of state on Wednesday and Thursday, teaching Thursday night and hazmat team training on Saturday so I will have to force myself to get out on my skis or snowshoes.
It seems I’m spending more time than usual hauling wood to keep our three stoves going. I love being able to sit and read by a hot stove and there is nothing better when coming in from the cold than to sit by a fire and sip hot coffee but supplying the stoves takes work.
We do have an oil furnace, but the wood costs me only labor and some fuel for my tractor, wood splitter and chainsaws. Besides cutting seven or eight cords of wood a year improves our woods and provides me with a great stress reliever.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2025 Gary W. Moore
Jeremy Graves of Brookline, Vermont shot this 220 pound, 7 point buck in Windham the second weekend of the season.
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