After twenty years of Vermont's annual rifle deer season, I finally got one this year. A four point, hundred and twenty pound trophy, a long time in the making. It was weird on two levels; actually getting one, and getting it the opening morning. It ended my season the earliest ever!
I started my morning about an hour and a half before dawn. It was a twenty minute walk into my stand, and I startled a whole flock of roosting turkeys along the way, when I walked under them. Startled me pretty good too at first!
Got to the stand, climbed up and got myself harnessed in. All situated and waiting about an hour before shooting time. Leaves plenty of time for things to calm down and all. So I hoped.
The sun came up and wildlife was everywhere! Owls made their last hoots, flocks of geese flew over. The turkeys I disturbed on the way in came walking by behind me, as well as another flock in a far off field that were talking up a storm. A Pileated woodpecker flew by, and one very fat squirrel ran up the tree across from me. About then the crows started landing in the corn field next to me, and within a couple minutes must've numbered a couple hundred. The noise was astounding!
About then rustling leaves behind me alerted me to something behind me. I saw two deer go run into the field and then cut back into the woods. I got my scope up, and the first one was bald, no horns. Second one was coming right at me, and stopped dead behind a large maple tree at twenty-five yards. I was leaned right up against the tree, looking through the scope as he peeked from around his tree. All I could see was the main beam, with what looked like maybe a nub?? Darn, a spike.....but still, he wouldn't come out from behind the tree.
Ten minutes went by of this, until he shifted his weight to his other leg. When he did, he turned his head and I saw the second horn on the main beam. I put the crosshairs on his vitals and dropped him. After a hour drag out, I got it checked in, and had it hanging.
Showing posts with label antlerless deer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label antlerless deer. Show all posts
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, July 18, 2008
GI County Residents; Apply For Antlerless Permits!
In the past I have been impressed with some of the steps the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dep art ment has taken to manage the Vermont deer herd. In my experience over the last few years I’ve seen just as many deer, but they are larger and healthier looking. That’s why I’m kind of disappointed with their latest proposal for the 2008 Antlerless deer hunt.
In addition to the hunters who normally go out hunting deer during muzzleloader season, the Dep art ment last I heard wanted to issue around 1,100 permits for WMU A, Grand Isle County . That’s eleven hundred hunters looking to bag a deer without horns in the county with the smallest geographical area in the state. I fear this is a recipe for disaster more than success. The land area of Grand Isle County is only 83 square miles. That equivilates to 13.25 hunters per square mile, and these are just the ones with antlerless permits!
The dep art ment knows that the land in Grand Isle County is heavily posted, and they need to issue this many permits to control the population. The reality is, of the eleven hundred permits issued, at best half may get filled. The antlerless lottery is a big fundraiser for the dep art ment at $10 a permit. Grand Isle County is a, eleven thousand dollar influx to the cash strapped dep art ment.
The issue that concerns me the most is who these permits get issued to. They’re not just going to Islanders who know the lay of the land, know where the houses are, and where it’s not safe to shoot. These permits are being given to anyone in or out of the state who doesn’t receive a permit in one of their higher choice wildlife management units. Our county has become a clearing house for antlerless permits. I am very proud that Fish and Wildlife board member from Grand Isle County , John Roy, recognized this and voted against the latest proposal for the 2008 antlerless deer season.
So the 2008 antlerless permits have now hit the stores, and are also available online thru the dep art ment website. Is their anything Islanders can do about the influx of out of county hunters that will surely appear this coming December? The answer is yes, and it’s something I like to call democracy of the dollar. Your ten dollars buys you a permit, and the option of whether to use it or not, hunters and non-hunters alike..
If you are a Grand Isle County resident, fill out a permit and send it in. Send the state their ten dollar check to help out the dep art ment, but only fill out your permit for WMU A, leave the rest of the WMU’s blank. By doing this you will ensure that decisions about harvesting an antlerless deer stay in GI county. With permits going to an Island resident majority, the choice how they’re used will stay in GI county. So all Island residents please apply for an antlerless permit. Whether you decide to use it or not, at least the decision will be made in Grand Isle County , not forced upon us by VT Fish and Wildlife.
In addition to the hunters who normally go out hunting deer during muzzleloader season, the Dep art ment last I heard wanted to issue around 1,100 permits for WMU A, Grand Isle County . That’s eleven hundred hunters looking to bag a deer without horns in the county with the smallest geographical area in the state. I fear this is a recipe for disaster more than success. The land area of Grand Isle County is only 83 square miles. That equivilates to 13.25 hunters per square mile, and these are just the ones with antlerless permits!
The dep art ment knows that the land in Grand Isle County is heavily posted, and they need to issue this many permits to control the population. The reality is, of the eleven hundred permits issued, at best half may get filled. The antlerless lottery is a big fundraiser for the dep art ment at $10 a permit. Grand Isle County is a, eleven thousand dollar influx to the cash strapped dep art ment.
The issue that concerns me the most is who these permits get issued to. They’re not just going to Islanders who know the lay of the land, know where the houses are, and where it’s not safe to shoot. These permits are being given to anyone in or out of the state who doesn’t receive a permit in one of their higher choice wildlife management units. Our county has become a clearing house for antlerless permits. I am very proud that Fish and Wildlife board member from Grand Isle County , John Roy, recognized this and voted against the latest proposal for the 2008 antlerless deer season.
So the 2008 antlerless permits have now hit the stores, and are also available online thru the dep art ment website. Is their anything Islanders can do about the influx of out of county hunters that will surely appear this coming December? The answer is yes, and it’s something I like to call democracy of the dollar. Your ten dollars buys you a permit, and the option of whether to use it or not, hunters and non-hunters alike..
If you are a Grand Isle County resident, fill out a permit and send it in. Send the state their ten dollar check to help out the dep art ment, but only fill out your permit for WMU A, leave the rest of the WMU’s blank. By doing this you will ensure that decisions about harvesting an antlerless deer stay in GI county. With permits going to an Island resident majority, the choice how they’re used will stay in GI county. So all Island residents please apply for an antlerless permit. Whether you decide to use it or not, at least the decision will be made in Grand Isle County , not forced upon us by VT Fish and Wildlife.
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