Archery Deer Season Expanded In Parts Of Vermont Including Newport, St. Johnsbury And Waterford

Moore Outdoors

Sep 8

By Gary Moore

Vermont’s new deer hunting regulation includes 16 additional days of archery hunting beginning September 15 to help manage deer in eight designated areas.

High deer numbers in these areas are damaging property and native vegetation. Most are developed areas where deer cannot be effectively managed with firearms.

Archery deer hunting in these expanded archery zones begins September 15, and only antlerless deer may be taken in these areas until the regular archery deer season begins on October 1. Like in the regular archery season, an archery license is required, and all archery season regulations apply.

“This addition to Vermont’s deer regulation came about because of the many complaints we are receiving from property owners about deer damage to gardens and ornamental vegetation as well as due to motor vehicle collisions with deer,” said Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “Most lands in expanded archery zones are privately owned, and some areas are not huntable, so we strongly encourage hunters to obtain landowner permission before hunting in these zones.”

He added, “We also urge hunters to check with city and town offices, because some municipalities have ordinances limiting or prohibiting the discharge of archery equipment.”

Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website, https://vtfishandwildlife.com/, has information and maps of the eight expanded archery zones in the deer hunting section.

The expanded areas are mostly in urban parts of the state, but not all.

The city of Newport is included and parts of the towns of St. Johnsbury and Waterford.

Local Author Chronicles His Adventures In VT, NH And ME

Walking The Long Trail and other New England Outdoor Activities by Allan J. Heathman was an enjoyable read that brought back many memories.

The book features six adventures in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Two are about hiking the Long Trail the length of Vermont and the Cohos Trail in northern NH.

Two are about kayaking the Connecticut from its source in Pittsburg to Newbury and the Saco River from North Conway, NH to Steep Falls, Maine.

There is also a chapter about the Cross New Hampshire Trail which he biked and a biking tour around northern Vermont starting in Wells River, crossing the state, then up through the islands and back across via the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, then down to Wells River.

Each chapter is a travel log of what he saw and did each day on his various journeys. Reading them you can experience the trips vicariously, plan for your own adventure or relive your experiences on the various sections he writes about.

Heathman also wrote a previous book, With My Knapsack on My Back,

A memoir of his travels from India to Australia. I have yet to read it I but hope to as time allows.

The two books are available locally or on his website.

Heathman is a native of he United Kingdom who has resided in the U.S. since 1996. Newbury was where he and his wife lived for 22 years before moving across the river to Mountain Lakes in 2019.

For more about Heathman and his two books go to: www.allanheathman.com.

Bits and Pieces

Labor Day is past and many will hike, bike, kayak, or climb in New Hampshire. Be sure that you have your voluntary Hike Safe card for 2026. Card sales help ensure that New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers, trained in wilderness rescue, are prepared to come to your aid if the unexpected happens.

Hike Safe cards cost $25 for an individual, or $35 for a family, and are good for the calendar year. Cards can be purchased online at www.wildnh.com/safe and at New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, in Concord.

Revenues raised through their sale go to the Department’s Search and Rescue Fund.

Purchasing a hunting or fishing license also provides you with the same protection as a Hike Safe card.

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New Hampshire’s Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend will be held statewide on Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27. Participating youth must be age 15 or younger and must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult age 18 or older. Adult hunters must possess a regular New Hampshire hunting license, a New Hampshire migratory waterfowl license, a Federal Duck Stamp, and a HIP permit number. The mentoring adult may not hunt waterfowl. The youth hunter is not required to have a hunting license, Federal Duck Stamp, or HIP permit number.

All regular season waterfowl regulations, including shooting hours and use of non-toxic shot, apply during the youth weekend. Specific seasons and bag limits for various waterfowl are listed on the Fish and Game website at www.huntnh.com/hunting/waterfowl.html.

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New Hampshire’s Youth Pheasant Hunting Weekend will be held statewide on Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27. Participating youth must be aged 15 or younger and must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult aged 18 or older. Accompanying adults must possess a current hunting license and pheasant permit, and are also prohibited from carrying a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow that could otherwise lawfully be used for hunting. Adult participants may accompany no more than two youths, and all youths must comply with all other requirements for the harvest of pheasant. The Granite State’s regular pheasant season opens on October 1.

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Join the Connecticut River Conservancy for the 30th annual watershed-wide Source to Sea Cleanup September 18-19 or a date that works best for you and your group. Go to upcoming events and check it out at https://www.ctriver.org/.

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Dale Sanders completed the 2,198-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine last week, reaching the summit of Mount Katahdin, the highest point in Maine and reclaiming the title as the oldest thru-hiker of the world famous trail. He is 91.

Known on the trail as Grey Beard, Sanders first became the oldest person to complete the Appalachian Trail in 2017 at age 82. His record was broken four years later by his friend, 83-year-old M.J. Eberhart, known as Nimblewill Nomad. Within months, Sanders announced his plan for a comeback.

You may remember that Don Kollish and I met Nimblewill Nomad while we were hiking Mt. Greylock in western, MA.

I am only 80 but I could never keep up with either, even with their support teams.

Parting Shots

It has been a rough week. I was scheduled to work in Nashua, NH Tuesday through Thursday. Linda went with me planning to stay in the hotel while I was working. We checked in to the Residence Inn Monday afternoon, got settled, and went next door so I could have dinner. All was well.

I left for work at 6:30 the next morning after giving her the meds. At noon I called her cell and the hotel room and got no answer. The Nashua assistant fire chief was in the class and he said, “Get in my car and we will go check.”

We found her not able to function or talk. An ambulance was called and she was sent to the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. I sat in the ER with her for six hours and then she was moved upstairs to a room.

I was able to get her released at 2:30 Thursday afternoon and we headed for home 129 miles north.

Friday morning she had to be at DHMC at 6:30 to have her G-Tube replaced.

Tuesday of this week she had palliative care in St.J, Wednesday it was back to DHMC for an endoscopy and Thursday St.J. for chemo followed by the removal of her chemo pump on Saturday.

I also had an appointment on Thursday with my oncologist and hazmat team training Saturday in Pittsford and Sunday in Pawlett.

Needless to say it has been a bit hectic.

Because of the holiday there is an early deadline. I had to finish this column and send it Thursday night. What is listed here is what is scheduled for the next week and hopefully will be accurate by the time you read this on Thursday.