turke7

Hi, I purchased a Vermont hunting license with early season bear as well. I have done one bear hunt in Arizona but I will probably be doing this bear hunt alone. I am 16 so I can only hunt weekends and my ability to go scouting beforehand etc is very limited due to sports and other conflicts during the fall. My hunting will be limited to just a couple weekends. I was hoping someone can point me in the right direction for a good area of public land to hunt, preferably in Southern Vermont and any tips. Id the bear firearm/archery season the same time as no alternative dates or separate seasons were mentioned on the VT Dept of fish and game website. I have bow hunted before out west and will be getting my bow hunting license in two weeks so I can bow hunt out East and would prefer using archery. Thanks!

turke7

I think the best place for me to hunt would be Green Mountain National Forest. If anyone has hunter there can give me some insight that would be great. The info I'm able to find online is limited. Thanks!

moosemike

The Green mountain NF has a lot of bear. What town are you in? My area of 'expertise' with VT is the NEK but I've done some stuff around Bennington and can point you in the right direction there.

turke7

I'm in South West Connecticut and its a 3 hr drive to Bennington and 3 1/2 to Green Mountain NF. Going to NEK wouldn't be worth the travel for a weekend. If Bennington is good I'd be grateful for some tips in that area. Thanks!

moosemike

Right outside Bennington is Woodford SP. There is a dirt road that takes you past the campground and dead ends at a trailhead. You can hunt back in there and there is definitely bear. Also Grouse , deer, and moose. But if you get back in a ways it gets swampy and the bear like that. Molly Stark SP is right there too and there is good hunting around there.

turke7

Is their a website for Woodford SP about the hunting. Vermont's public land hunting info seems to be very lacking compared to other states.

moosemike

It is lacking. Finding anything about public hunting in VT is a joke. All you can do is drive across Rt. 9 in VT until you come to Woodford and then scout it out on foot.

turke7

Have you bagged a black bear in Woodford and would it be reasonable to have a decent chance at a good bear there in one or two weekends? Its just over 300 acres which is about all I could learn on it. I'm going to try calling the VT dept. of fish and game and see if they can provide some good leads.

moosemike

I've never hunted there only scouted. I've spent two weeks in the NEK bear hunting and never laid eyes on one in some of the best bear country imaginable. So it's all a crapshoot and when you don't run dogs, and can't use bait, the odds are long.