ORIGINAL: jf5
ORIGINAL: BTBowhunter
I would shoot does if it was legal here. The only time you can take them in Vermont is during bow season or during ML season if you're lucky enough to win an antlerless tag.
If it were legal to shoot does here, I would have a good half dozen deer under my belt instead of zero.
Thats a bummer!! I dont know much (anything) about Vermonts deer herd, but am amazed that any state agency is trying to practice QDM without killing some does!!!
Most VT hunters demanded a reduction in doe permits mostlydue to a long tradition of buck only hunting.In many zones, (not all)I would agree that a reduction was required. VT's doe populations are fairly low. So its not a situation where there are tons of does and low quality bucks like PA a few years ago.
I honestly thing that Vermont is still allowing each hunter to take too many deer in a calendar year. Currently, the limit is two deer across all seasons. This is the first year that the limit hasn't been 3 per year. I fel that's simply too many for our population. I would like to see the law allow one deer of either sex to be taken during a year. Whether you choose to take that deer in bow, rifle, or ML season is your choice.
I'm not certain, but I think that Maine is a one deer a year state, and I've heard them touted as having the best deer hunting in northern New England.
I'm not trying to complain too much, but I've been skunked every year since I was 11. Granted, part of that is due to the fact that I'm not that good a hunter, but in 13 deer seasons, I figured at some point I'd be bound to get one at least by accident. Who knows, maybe even if the state was overflowing with deer, I'd still walk away empty handed. In any case, the armed hikes that are my deer hunts are still more fun than sitting in front of the TV all weekend.