by Gabrielle Gervais
ORLEANS — On October 2, game wardens and a representative from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department hosted an open discussion at the Orleans Municipal Building on the new hunting regulations to take effect in the 2026 season. The Fish and Wildlife website says the changes are intended to provide additional hunting opportunity and allow for more effective management.
Paul Noel, representative of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for Orleans County, said the biggest change involves does in rifle season. He said those with an antlerless permit can fill it during rifle season, as well as muzzleloader seasons. Before this year, a doe permit was only useable during muzzleloader season. “To compensate for that extra time to use it during rifle season, we’ve reduced the number of permits that are available to be taken for hunters to use.
“The success rate is going to be higher this year because we can use those permits during rifle season,” Mr. Noel said.
On its website, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said its goal for this change is “to make it easier to fill antlerless tags in specific areas where we know there are too many deer, not to impact the population in places where it’s already in balance with the habitat. The number and distribution of antlerless permits will still be adjusted each year to ensure too many antlerless deer aren’t taken.”
This year, hunters may hold up to two antlerless permits at the same time, provided they are for ….
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