Vermont May Deer Hearings Set for St Albans and Springfield
OutdoorHub 04.26.12
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department will hold two public hearings on white-tailed deer management in May to give Vermonters the opportunity to review 2011 hunting season results and discuss the details of the 2012 Antlerless Permitting and Youth Season Recommendations. One meeting will be Monday, May 14, in St. Albans and the other Tuesday, May 15, in Springfield.
Three public hearings on deer were held in Castleton, Montpelier and Orleans in March, prior to the antlerless recommendation. The two May hearings provide the public the opportunity to comment on the department’s recommendation for the number of muzzleloader season antlerless deer permits, as well as the antlerless harvest during archery season and the Youth Deer Weekend.
The meetings will be held 7-8:30 p.m. at the St. Albans Town Educational Center Cafeteria, 169 South Main Street, St. Albans on May 14, and in the Riverside Junior High School Cafeteria, 13 Fairground Road, Springfield on May 15.
As in the three March meetings, wildlife biologists will share information on 2011 hunting season results as well as data gathered at biological check stations on antler measurements, ages and weights of deer. They will also review winter severity data for 2012, which indicated Vermont had one of the least severe winters on record. The biologists will discuss prospects for next fall’s deer season, including the new recommendations, and take questions from the audience.
Harvest totals from the 2011 hunting seasons show Vermont hunters took 12,132 deer during archery, youth, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons. Those totals will be discussed in detail at the meetings.
The 2011 White-tailed Deer Report and the 2012 Antlerless Permitting and Youth Season Recommendation are available on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).
“We are holding these meetings to share the latest information we have on Vermont’s deer, but also to hear from hunters and other Vermonters who care about deer,” said Director of Wildlife Mark Scott. “I encourage anyone interested to attend one of the meetings.”
