Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials say this year’s rifle deer hunting season was a success, with hunters taking more deer and bigger bucks than in previous years.
Officials don’t expect to have the final numbers until late January but as of Dec. 3, the total harvest was 5,053 compared to the average harvest of 3,594 for the last three years.
Shawn Haskell, the state deer project manager, says that on youth hunting weekend biologists at the 27 check stations around the state found that bucks were bigger and older than previous years. He attributes this to a 2005 ban on killing young spikehorn deer.
He says more 2- and 3-year-old deer with antlers were taken this year.