Deer Seasons Are Still Open
Gary Moore
December 04, 2025
Vermont’s regular firearms season ended Sunday and the second part of the archery season opened Monday.
Archery deer hunting continues December 1-15, and muzzleloader deer hunting will take place December 6-14.
An antlerless deer, or a legal buck, if you did not take one earlier, are allowed during the archery season.
A legal buck may be taken during the muzzleloader season if you did not take one earlier, and an antlerless deer may be taken in a designated Wildlife Management Unit if you have a muzzleloader antlerless deer permit and you have not already reached your annual limit.
Vermont has an annual limit of four deer during its deer hunting seasons, including only one legal buck annually during those seasons.
New Hampshire’s archery season continues through December 15 in all of the state except the northernmost WMU A where it ends December 8.
The Granite State firearm season continues for antlered deer only through December 8 except for WMU A where it closed December 1.
Ok To Start Bird Feeding According To Fish And Wildlife
Vermont Fish and Wildlife has told us for months that bird feeding should not take place to avoid conflicts with bears. The Department now says it is ok to start.
“Most bears are in dens from December 1 to April 1, but some will delay hibernation or re-emerge to feed during periods of warmer weather. Remove bird feeders immediately if you see signs of bears or know a bear is active in your community.”
Many of us feed birds all winter as we love to watch them and learn what species are around.
Fish and Wildlife offers some tips: Make your own feeding mixture to maximize the number of species visiting your yard. Black oil sunflower seed is a favorite of many birds, but when mixed with “thistle or cracked corn you will be sure to attract a wide variety of species.
Don’t forget the suet to attract woodpeckers and even chickadees.
Mix up the type of feeders you use. Hopper feeders are great for large birds such as blue jays, while tube feeders are best for smaller birds. Elevated tray feeders will attract birds that usually feed on the ground including juncos and larger bodied winter visitors such as evening grosbeaks.
Place your feeders near natural habitat, or even add a habitat for birds to hide. A Christmas tree is a great addition to a snowbank next to your feeder to provide quick cover.
Keep your feeders clean. Only put out enough food for a day, and wash feeders every couple of weeks in a 10 percent bleach solution and let dry to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease.
Domestic cats are the leading cause of deaths to birds in North America.
Window strikes are all too common. It is recommended that feeders be placed within 3 feet of windows or more than 30 feet away.
Once you start winter feeding, don’t stop. If you need to such as when you leave for a warmer place, gradually taper off the amount of food to give bids a chance to find alternatives.
You can participate in monitoring projects such as the Great Backyard Bird Count, https://www.birdcount.org/ or Project Feeder Watch and eBird, https://feederwatch.org/. Both collect important information about bird populations.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s Scats and Tracks For K-8
Vermont Fish and Wildlife is once again offering a virtual program for classes from kindergarten through eighth grade designed to get kids outside with their teacher, while also learning about Vermont’s local wildlife.
Now in its sixth season, Scats and Tracks is a 4-week program that gives educators plans and support to lead nature hikes on school or nearby grounds. Each week highlights a different Vermont species paying particular attention to their individual habitat needs and signs they leave behind such as tracks and scat. This year the program will be highlighting gray fox, beaver, gray squirrel, and eastern wild turkey.
Classes participate by first watching a pre-recorded video that highlights the species of the week. After the video the classroom teacher then leads the students on a nature hike to search for signs of the species discussed while also emphasizing the particular habitat needs of the species.
Questions about the species are answered during optional virtual Q&A sessions on Thursdays at 9:15 and 10:15 a.m. conducted with a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist.
More than 3,000 Vermont students participated in the program this year. The virtual aspect allows for a wide range of flexibility by Vermont teachers to incorporate the program into their current lessons. In 2026 the program will begin the week of January 4.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife understands that many educators have questions about leading a nature hike of their own. Staff are available to answer questions directly and have created additional instructional videos to assist educators.
Registration is required by December 15 and can be completed at the Scats and Tracks webpage on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.
All registered classes will receive a welcome packet with pocket track guides in the mail. Guides will only be mailed to Vermont participants. All other questions can be directed to Education Specialist Corey Hart by emailing him at, or calling him at 802-505-5562.
Bits and Pieces
A few antlerless permits may still be available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.
***
New Hampshire Fish and Game will hold it’s Shop WILD Saturday December 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Department Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH.
Shop WILD Saturday will feature all the gifts outdoor lovers are asking for this season such as the full line up of newly designed merchandise including a warm winter vintage-inspired hooded sweatshirt and matching trucker hat.
Shop WILD Saturday has something for the whole family to explore. Bold Spark Design and Stationery will be on hand to showcase their vibrant wildlife-track inspired prints and notecards. Friends from the New Hampshire Wildlife Heritage Foundation and the Conservation Officers Relief Association will be there to share their work, as will members of the Fish and Game K-9 Team.
Parting Shots
I have had little chance to hunt the first week of the Vermont season as Linda and I both had appointments at DHMC, she on Tuesday and me on Friday, I had a meeting in Montpelier Monday and hazmat calls on Thursday and Saturday.
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
Archery deer hunting continues December 1-15, and muzzleloader deer hunting will take place December 6-14.
An antlerless deer, or a legal buck, if you did not take one earlier, are allowed during the archery season.
A legal buck may be taken during the muzzleloader season if you did not take one earlier, and an antlerless deer may be taken in a designated Wildlife Management Unit if you have a muzzleloader antlerless deer permit and you have not already reached your annual limit.
Vermont has an annual limit of four deer during its deer hunting seasons, including only one legal buck annually during those seasons.
New Hampshire’s archery season continues through December 15 in all of the state except the northernmost WMU A where it ends December 8.
The Granite State firearm season continues for antlered deer only through December 8 except for WMU A where it closed December 1.
Ok To Start Bird Feeding According To Fish And Wildlife
Vermont Fish and Wildlife has told us for months that bird feeding should not take place to avoid conflicts with bears. The Department now says it is ok to start.
“Most bears are in dens from December 1 to April 1, but some will delay hibernation or re-emerge to feed during periods of warmer weather. Remove bird feeders immediately if you see signs of bears or know a bear is active in your community.”
Many of us feed birds all winter as we love to watch them and learn what species are around.
Fish and Wildlife offers some tips: Make your own feeding mixture to maximize the number of species visiting your yard. Black oil sunflower seed is a favorite of many birds, but when mixed with “thistle or cracked corn you will be sure to attract a wide variety of species.
Don’t forget the suet to attract woodpeckers and even chickadees.
Mix up the type of feeders you use. Hopper feeders are great for large birds such as blue jays, while tube feeders are best for smaller birds. Elevated tray feeders will attract birds that usually feed on the ground including juncos and larger bodied winter visitors such as evening grosbeaks.
Place your feeders near natural habitat, or even add a habitat for birds to hide. A Christmas tree is a great addition to a snowbank next to your feeder to provide quick cover.
Keep your feeders clean. Only put out enough food for a day, and wash feeders every couple of weeks in a 10 percent bleach solution and let dry to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease.
Domestic cats are the leading cause of deaths to birds in North America.
Window strikes are all too common. It is recommended that feeders be placed within 3 feet of windows or more than 30 feet away.
Once you start winter feeding, don’t stop. If you need to such as when you leave for a warmer place, gradually taper off the amount of food to give bids a chance to find alternatives.
You can participate in monitoring projects such as the Great Backyard Bird Count, https://www.birdcount.org/ or Project Feeder Watch and eBird, https://feederwatch.org/. Both collect important information about bird populations.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s Scats and Tracks For K-8
Vermont Fish and Wildlife is once again offering a virtual program for classes from kindergarten through eighth grade designed to get kids outside with their teacher, while also learning about Vermont’s local wildlife.
Now in its sixth season, Scats and Tracks is a 4-week program that gives educators plans and support to lead nature hikes on school or nearby grounds. Each week highlights a different Vermont species paying particular attention to their individual habitat needs and signs they leave behind such as tracks and scat. This year the program will be highlighting gray fox, beaver, gray squirrel, and eastern wild turkey.
Classes participate by first watching a pre-recorded video that highlights the species of the week. After the video the classroom teacher then leads the students on a nature hike to search for signs of the species discussed while also emphasizing the particular habitat needs of the species.
Questions about the species are answered during optional virtual Q&A sessions on Thursdays at 9:15 and 10:15 a.m. conducted with a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist.
More than 3,000 Vermont students participated in the program this year. The virtual aspect allows for a wide range of flexibility by Vermont teachers to incorporate the program into their current lessons. In 2026 the program will begin the week of January 4.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife understands that many educators have questions about leading a nature hike of their own. Staff are available to answer questions directly and have created additional instructional videos to assist educators.
Registration is required by December 15 and can be completed at the Scats and Tracks webpage on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.
All registered classes will receive a welcome packet with pocket track guides in the mail. Guides will only be mailed to Vermont participants. All other questions can be directed to Education Specialist Corey Hart by emailing him at, or calling him at 802-505-5562.
Bits and Pieces
A few antlerless permits may still be available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.
***
New Hampshire Fish and Game will hold it’s Shop WILD Saturday December 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Department Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH.
Shop WILD Saturday will feature all the gifts outdoor lovers are asking for this season such as the full line up of newly designed merchandise including a warm winter vintage-inspired hooded sweatshirt and matching trucker hat.
Shop WILD Saturday has something for the whole family to explore. Bold Spark Design and Stationery will be on hand to showcase their vibrant wildlife-track inspired prints and notecards. Friends from the New Hampshire Wildlife Heritage Foundation and the Conservation Officers Relief Association will be there to share their work, as will members of the Fish and Game K-9 Team.
Parting Shots
I have had little chance to hunt the first week of the Vermont season as Linda and I both had appointments at DHMC, she on Tuesday and me on Friday, I had a meeting in Montpelier Monday and hazmat calls on Thursday and Saturday.
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
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