Hunting in Vermont: 3 Things to Know Before Applying for a Hunting Permit for Your Kids

Hunting in Vermont for people younger than 18 is limited and controlled. The state offers three youth hunting events: a spring turkey hunting weekend, a fall deer hunting weekend and a waterfowl hunting weekend in September. Kids hunting in Vermont must be with an unarmed licensed, certified hunter that is older than 18.

Here are three things of note about applying for a hunting license for your kids in Vermont.

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1. Hunter Education
Vermont requires anyone who wants to hunt, bow hunt or trap in the state of Vermont to first complete a hunter education course. The courses are free and are open to anyone of any age or experience. Exams are written at a sixth-grade reading level, and students younger than 16 must have a parent’s signature to enroll, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

2. Youth Hunting Seasons
In Vermont, there are three designated youth hunting seasons to hunt turkey, waterfowl and deer. The Youth Spring Turkey Season takes place the weekend before the official spring turkey season, which lasts throughout the month of May.

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In the fall, youth hunters can enjoy the Youth Waterfowl Weekend, which usually takes place the last full weekend in the month of September. During this weekend, youth hunters can bag ducks, geese, mergansers and coots as long as they have their hunting license, but they do not need the State Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp.

Lastly, the Youth Deer Weekend also takes place the weekend before the regular firearms season opens. The limit is one deer of either sex, and there are no antler restrictions for youth hunters, according to the Fish and Wildlife Department.

3. Mentors
All of these hunting seasons require that the youth hunter be accompanied by an unarmed adult that is at least 18 years old and is a fully licenses and certified hunter. The mentor does not have to be a family member, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department encourages mentors to take out youth they know on hunting expeditions during one or all of the three youth hunting seasons in Vermont.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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