RUTLAND, Vt. – Hunters who provided the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department with a tooth from their deer can now find out how old their deer was by visiting the department’s website, www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
A total of 2,025 teeth were received from successful hunters in 2020. When added to the 606 deer examined by biologists during the youth and rifle seasons, the department was able to get accurate ages for 2,631 deer.
“We are thankful to the thousands of hunters who supported our deer management efforts by providing us with a tooth from their deer,” said Deer Project Leader Nick Fortin. “This age information helps us estimate deer population size and assess the health of deer. It is also critically important for understanding the effects of new hunting regulations on the deer population and buck age structure.”
The oldest deer harvested was a 19-year-old doe taken in Ripton. The oldest buck was 12 years old and was taken in Somerset.
The deer ages can be found on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website with a link from the home page.