MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is offering hunters the opportunity to participate in its annual deer hunter effort and sighting survey.
The survey asks hunters to record how many hours they hunted and how many deer, moose, bears, or other wildlife they saw on each day of the November rifle season. Hunters are asked to complete the survey as soon as possible after the rifle deer season even if they did not hunt or did not harvest a deer. This information helps the department evaluate how hunting pressure and the number of these animals varies throughout the season and around the state.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife has mailed survey cards to several thousand randomly selected hunters each year since 1999. The survey is now available for all licensed deer hunters at www.vtfishandwildlife.com/hunt/hunter-effort-survey.
“The information we get from this survey is critically important for the management of deer and other wildlife in Vermont,” said Nick Fortin, Fish & Wildlife’s deer and moose project leader. “If we hear from more hunters, our population estimates will be more reliable, and our management will be more effective.”