Vermont Holds Public Hearings on Moose and Deer

By -
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding three public hearings about Vermont’s moose and deer in March, with two focused on deer later in May.

The March 19, 21, and 22 hearings will include results of Vermont’s 2017 deer and moose seasons as well as prospects for the fall.  Included will be a review of the proposed 2018 moose hunting season with opportunity for public comment.  The March meetings will occur before the board’s vote on the proposed 2018 moose season on April 25, 2018.  Those who cannot attend can email comments to ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov
 
On February 21, the Fish & Wildlife Board preliminarily approved issuing moose permits for the 2018 season.  The Fish & Wildlife Department’s big game team recommended that only 14 permits for bull moose be issued for the October hunting seasons.  The permits would be for WMUs E1 and E2 in the Northeast Kingdom, where moose numbers are close to biologists’ density goals.   The number of moose hunting permits was reduced from 80 in 2017 and 141 in 2016 to allow growth of the moose population. 

“We propose to limit the harvest of moose to that region of the state where we want to maintain moose densities at current levels in order to reduce the effects of winter ticks,” said moose biologist Cedric Alexander.  “Throughout the rest of the state, we recommend suspending the harvest of moose until populations increase closer to their goals.”

The hearings are scheduled for 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. as follows:

Moose and Deer:

Monday, March 19 – Montpelier High School, 5 High School Dr., Montpelier, VT 05602

Wednesday, March 21 – Windsor Welcome Center, 3 Railroad Ave., Windsor, VT 05089

Thursday, March 22 – Lake Region Union High School, 317 Lake Region Rd., Orleans, VT  05860

Deer Only:

Tuesday, May 8 – Rutland High School, 22 Stratton Rd., Rutland, VT 05701

Thursday, May 10 – South Burlington High School, 550 Dorset St., South Burlington, VT 05403

-30-

Media Contact:  Cedric Alexander 802-751-0105; Scott Darling 802-786-3862 Mark Scott 802-777-4217


Popular posts from this blog

Vermont Angler Completes First-ever ‘Master Angler Sweep’

By -
Image
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Drew Price of Colchester, VT, has completed the state’s first-ever ‘Master Angler Sweep’ by catching at least one trophy-sized specimen of all 33 eligible fish species that are part of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Master Angler Program. Price spent eight years in his quest to be the first to catch and enter all 33 species in the Vermont program.  “This is a remarkable achievement,” said fisheries biologist Shawn Good, who founded the Master Angler Program with fisheries biologist Jud Kratzer and currently administers it.  “He called me from the lake moments after landing his final species – a 30-inch pike-pickerel hybrid.  He was kind of deliriously happy and I don't blame him.” Price, who started fly fishing in 1993, said “Once I found fishing, I was like ‘this is it, this is my calling.’” In 2010, he began entering fish in the department’s new Master Angler Program, spending the time he wasn’t working as a full-time school teacher or
Read more

Public Hearings Set for Deer, Moose

By -
Image
Hunters, landowners and anyone else interested in deer and moose should plan on attending one of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife public hearings being held in March and May. The hearings will include results of Vermont’s 2017 deer and moose seasons and prospects for hunting next fall as well as an opportunity for people to provide their observations and opinions regarding deer and moose.  The hearings will also include a review of the proposed 2018 moose hunting season and an opportunity for the public to comment.  On February 21, the Fish & Wildlife Board preliminarily approved issuing moose permits for the 2018 season.  The Fish & Wildlife Department’s big game team recommended that only 14 permits for bull moose be issued for the October hunting seasons.  The permits would be for WMUs E1 and E2 in the Northeast Kingdom, where moose numbers are close to biologists’ density goals.   The number of moose hunting permits was reduced from 80 in 2017 and 141 in 2016 to allo
Read more

Release of Aquarium Fish or Plants is an Environmental Threat

By -
Image
ESSEX, Vt. – Keeping an aquarium with tropical fish and plants can be fun and educational.  But, releasing these fish or plants outdoors can be harmful to native species and is prohibited by Vermont law according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.  Many of the common tropical fishes and aquatic plants kept in home aquariums originate from Central and South America, Africa and southeast Asia.  While some are imported, others are raised here, most notably in Florida.  Unfortunately, some exotic fishes are released into the wild each year by their owners.  People may not be able to take their fish with them when they move, or they may simply lose interest in maintaining an aquarium.  Some tropical fish also can grow too large for their aquarium.  There are several good reasons not to release aquarium fishes and plants into the wild.  If they survive, and reproduce, they are difficult, if not impossible to control or eradicate.  They can cause changes in the native
Read more