Hunting in Vermont: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Vermont? How Do I Pass Classes?

The Green Mountain State requires all first-time hunters to complete a hunter education course prior to hunting in Vermont regardless of age. However, in 2012, Vermont eased this requirement slightly by allowing for the exception of a Mentored Hunting License eligible to first-time hunting license applicants that have never possessed a hunting license in any state.

Here are four things to consider about the hunter education requirement in Vermont.

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1. Age
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department allows anyone complete the hunter education course. The test and materials are written at a sixth-grade reading level, so children enrolled in grades lower than sixth might encounter difficulties when taking the test.

2. Mentored Hunting License
For those interested in taking a child hunting before they’ve passed their hunter education course requirement, the state allows for a one-time application for a mentored hunting license. This license is available to any resident or nonresident who’s never held a hunting license and agrees to stay within 15 feet at all times of their licensed, certified hunting mentor who is at least 21 years old.

Additionally, parents must sign off on the application if the mentored hunting candidate is under 15 years old. All game taken counts toward the bag limits of the hunting mentor.

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3. Types of Hunter Education
Several types of hunter education courses exist to help best prepare hunters for the type of game and weapons that they’ll be using on hunts. These include:

• Basic firearm traditional classroom course
• Basic firearm home-study class
• Basic firearm/bowhunter combo course
• Bowhunter education
• Trapper education course

Each course requires an in-person field day and test to qualify for a hunting license.

4. Study Materials
For those interested in taking the Vermont hunter education course, study manuals are available by calling to receive a printed manual through the mail or via email. Study materials also are available at the Dewey Building at National Life in Montpelier.

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

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