VERMONT – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife (F&W) Department said on January 6, the final tally of deer taken in Vermont’s 2024 hunting seasons will be a little over 17,200. Those deer will provide approximately 3.4 million servings of venison.
The buck harvest will be a little over 9,200, which will be down from the 9,848 taken in 2023 and the previous three-year average of 9,533. The final antlerless deer harvest will be around 8,000, which will be up from the previous 3-year average of 7,188.
“Season totals were mixed in 2024,” said Nick Fortin, the department’s deer project leader. “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 primary goal of Vermont’s deer management strategy is to keep the deer herd stable, healthy and in balance with available habitat. “Maintaining an appropriate number of deer on the landscape ensures deer and the habitats that support them remain in good condition and productive,” said Fortin.
The 2024 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report with final numbers will be on F&W’s website in early March. Beginning in late March, the department will be holding informational hearings to share biological information and to listen to any information people wish to share.
