VT Rifle Season
 

How did it go in VT on the opening weekend??

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

They say the kill is up by about 200 over last year's opening weekend. About 980 deer checked in so far. It was very cold Saturday with some snow. Sunday rained all day and Monday was heavy snow with 20 mph winds.

. . . Rob

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

There is a massive deer taken from vermont down here in the cooler The biggest one ive ever saw 12 point 245lbs the rack is big at the base it has to be9 or 10inches around and thick and spead all the way up, biggest one the cutter has ever sliced too.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Up-a-Tree...That buck sounds like one of them monsters from the Kingdom!!

Good to hear these reports...as compared to last year.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Also, what region of the state are you guys hunting?

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Im not hunting vermont but the second big buck in there came from J2 in NH over 200lbs and massive rack the guy was a new hunter and cut the hide all the way up to the lower jaw and took a big patch of hide out, No good mount to bad, He said It was his first and followed the dir, in the book.... A guy at work got one up in littleton NH, 250lbs massive rack second in the state right now, He said he should have waited the one behind it was even bigger with drop tines..... I took a 100lb doe with bow, and a 5pointer 125 with shot gun Southern NH.....IM looking for a camp to buy up there....

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

I'm in central Vermont, H1 zone.

. . . Rob

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

I almost hunted Vermont this year, but I had been hearing so much about how low the kill was last year and the heavy winter 1999-2000, that I decided to wait. That being said, I still saw a ton of deer in SW VT this year while fishing. Sometimes up to 12 animals in a day. Problem is the posted land there is crazy, and the little land that is open is swamped. I was seeing a few deer in the NEK, but mostly on CT river valley farm lands, and not in the large hunting tracks in towns like Victory and Ferdinand. Seeing more moose than deer there. I am looking to possibly hunt the Marshfield/Plainfield area next year, but I havn't scouted up there in a few years.

Good luck.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

jf5, save your time and money and look elsewhere. I'm from Plainfield. It's very discouraging around here. Although a few nice bucks are taken, you just don't see many deer. Most hunters here take the first spike they see, so mature bucks are far and few in between. In all fairness, the places I usually hunt are "big woods" for around here and you usually don't see many deer even in a good year. The 99/00 winter did take it's toll, a good 30% of the heard. It's still rebuilding and I feel the F&W have grossly overstated the heard at 140,000 deer.

I ususally also hunt Maine or northern NH. Decided to bag it this year and head south. I am going to south west NY this coming Saturday for a week. Got a buck tag and 2 DMP tags. Will be using my smokepole and hopefully get into some deer everyday. I am told we should see 20 to 30 deer a day . . . I love seeing deer! Time will tell how things workout.

. . . Rob

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

I tipped a nice 7 pointer over after walking alot of ridges eairly the second saturday. Some areas contain deer but I don't feel the numbers are any where near great. I did put on a lot of miles where I saw little sign where there had been plenty in the past. Acorns have been the key and the does hot.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

I hear what your saying Rob. My father hunted places in your area such as Lord's Hill, Hardwood, and Spruce Mtn from about 1960-1980. He had some great years, especially in the 60's and early 70's. Last time I was up there, I did see some Ok sign up at Lords,even caught a doe up there, but that was in '99 before the heavy snows.

I agree...I like to see alot of deer while hunting. Even if its just does, seeing animals keeps you motivated. I live in MA, and have been looking to expand my gun season by hunting other states. Problem is, I have very limited time off, so Sunday hunting is a big issue for me. I have been trying to get decent places to hunt in NY and VT. Seems the best areas of VT are either private or pakced, and the big woods are limited in deer numbers. I have been trying to hunt east NY and have found good sign on public lands, but from what I hear its like the civil war out there during gun season.

I love Vermont, and do alot of fishing up there. Would love to combine scouting and trouting. We'll have to see what the future holds for the VT herd.

Good luck in west NY. There are a ton of deer out there.

GRNMTN- Congrats on your buck!!

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

I'm suprised at the places you mentioned. Lord's Hill is in my parents back yard. Do you know the Carter's? They have a camp on Lord's. One of my favorite places to hunt is between Hardwood Ridge and Spruce Mtn. More specifically the Pigeon Pond area, which is pretty much at the base of Spruce. Beautiful country up there. I know the family which owns the land around Pigeon Pond. It's 4,000 acres which borders Groton State Forest (about 15,000 acres). Where do you fish up here?

I have heard the same thing about the NY gun season. The place we are hunting is a private farm, which I am told is posted. We are paying a tresspass fee for access. Hopefully we won't bump into anyone. I'll find out soon enough.

NH also allows Sunday hunting. I have hunted Pittsburg for several years. Seen a few bucks and even missed one with my smokepole. Like the rest of the north, I though I would give the area a few years to rebound on the population.

. . . Rob

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Hi Rob,

I am mostly familiar with those places through stories from my dad and childhood memories. I saw my first live deer (outside an automobile) on Lords Hill while scouting with my dad in the mid 70's, when I was a child. My dad quit hunting there in the early 80's, so I never had a chance to hunt there.(I was too young before that) I had been looking all around VT for a place to hunt and decided to check out Lord's Hill in the fall of 99 out of curiosity, and we saw the Doe that I spoke of and some sign. You're right, that area has alot of land between GSF and the other natural areas. Plenty of room to hunt. Certainly a beautiful place! I have yet to check out Spruce or Hardwood Mtn as an adult. I do not know the Carters.

I guess the closest places I have fished in your area are the Winooski, Dog and Lamoille Rivers. I usually fish more so in the northern end of the NEK in rivers like the Black, Mississquoi, Barton,Clyde and CT rivers. I also do alot of fishing in SW VT in rivers like the Walloomsac, Furnace Brook, and Hoosic River. Occasionaly I will fish the Rutland area as well...Otter Creek, (the other) Furnace Brook, Poultny River. I usually only fish the lakes through the ice, except Champ.

If you have exclusive privelege on NY posted Land, you should have a great time.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Rob in vt, Do you know any of the wilson, or burns from plainfield, barre, montp,..

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

There were some Wilson's in school with me. None in my class, but a couple older and one younger. George, Gary, and Greg were older. I think Geoff was the younger one. My wife was friends with a Brenda Burns.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

Hunted Eden, Jay and Lincoln Gap area and passed on a spike and 6pt in Eden and a spike in the Gap. Did shoot at a big buck in Gap the second weekend - got the jump on me...no feathers!!! Lots of deer in Eden and far and fewer between in the Gap but some big bucks around. Did a bunch of tracking with all that snow. Hope to come back east for ML for round two.

RE: VT Rifle Season
 

There the ones, brenda is one of my better friends sister and the wilson gang we know well, My wife went to vermont college and worked fof congresman jeffords,brendas brother paul is moving back up there, Near rutland cant wait to hunt up there, paul is gary best friend.