Habitat is the biggest issue. I live in central Vermont and have been doing habitat improvement on our 95 acres for 4 years now. We started with logging and have progressed through planting trees and bushes, releasing existing apple and oak trees, creating a sanctuary, and planting food plots. My 10 year old daughter started hunting this year with me. Although neither of us took a deer, we had close to 40 sighting between youth weekend and rifle season. I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 different deer. I think we are on the brink of some fantastic hunting. I had pictures this summer/fall of 4 different 1.5 year old bucks plus there was a 6pt and 4pt near by. This stuff really works! The turkeys, grouse, and bearalso benefit from the habitat improvements.

Antler restriction and limited antlerless harvest will only help. The kill will be down, but hopefully everyone will hang one for a year or two and start to see some good results. The state really needs to agressively log the state land to create more browes and improve the deer yards.

I am a board member of the First Vermont Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association. This is a great organization dedicated to habitat improvement and keeping the herd with the carrying capasity of the land. Make no mistake, this isn't about growing trophy antlers (although it is a great by-product), it's about having a healthy well managed herd. Anyone who has an interest in deer hunting should really join this organization (www.qdma.com). If you would like more information on what the Vermont branch is doing, shoot me an email at [email protected].

. . . Rob