MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Preliminary numbers indicate Vermont hunters bagged fewer bucks this past hunting season.
The final harvest for the 2024 hunting seasons will be a little over 17,200 deer, according to the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. While that’s slightly higher than the 16,845 total for 2023, the buck harvest will be a little over 9,200, which is down from the previous three-year average of 9,533. On the other hand, the final antlerless deer harvest will be around 8,000, which will be up from the previous three-year average of 7,188.
“Season totals were mixed in 2024,” the department’s Nick Fortin said in a statement. “The harvest during the November regular season was down about 10 percent from 2023, and this accounted for all of the decline in the total buck harvest. Harvests during every other season were up compared to 2023.”
The final numbers will be posted on the department’s website in early March.