I will be returning to VT soon, and I'm interested in getting into hunting. Once I get back there will be a lot to do, so it'll still be a while before I can actually hunt. I first plan on buying a .22 and a shotgun, but where I am struggling is picking out a gun for deer hunting: I really love the idea of a .357 magnum lever action, but I am also aware there are better options out there. Is it even something to consider?

These are the factors I have come up with when considering my options. I am aware that I may be mistaken with some of these so please feel free to correct me. Thank you for excusing my ignorance.

• .308 Winchester is both very available, budget friendly (relatively speaking), and sufficient for hunting deer ethically in VT. While some state they can hit a target accurately at very long ranges yards, most claim that this cartridge is best suited for hunting at or below 200 yards.
• .357 magnum is also available and cheap, and it comes with the added bonus that rifles chambered in 357 can also accept 38 special, which is convenient given I plan on getting a revolver in 357 too. Many other forums note that .357 magnum meets the VERY MINIMUM strength for ethically hunting deer, and that while possible, it should be carefully considered with caution. The main concern I see posted online that it may not be strong enough to ethically (quickly) put down a deer, especially at longer ranges.
• In Vermont, and in areas where most people hunt, the hilly, wooded terrain generally decreases the expected range that a deer is shot from. This factor is the one I am not at all sure about, but my guess is that shots are usually taken between 25-75 yards. There are certainly exceptions, but this is what I expect.
• For the above reason, I will not need a very high powered scope (3-9 magnification being the max needed?). Is it possible (with lots of practice) to hit a target without a scope at all? Most guns I am looking at come with drilled and tapped receivers, but there a a few that are not.
• There are other notable cartridges (6.5 Creedmoor, 30-30, and .44 Mag. come to mind) that are often recommended, but I will be excluding these for now. I hear the cartridges above are either not budget friendly, not commonly available, or both. If I get some good feedback on a cartridge AND find an available, lefty, budget friendly rifle, I am open to considering it.
• While it is possible for a lefty to use a right handed bolt action with practice, and the fact that you are very unlikely to make more than one shot on a given target, most lefty's agree that having a rifle in a LH configuration is a huge bonus. Therefore, when it comes to bolt actions, I am only looking a ones that come in LH.
• My budget right now is about $900 for the rifle alone. This does not include a scope or any other accessories.

Are these assumptions (which I will remind you are just that), at all accurate? Is there something else I should consider or be aware of when it comes to buying my first deer hunting rifle?

Right now I am deciding between two options

Option A: lefty bolt action chambered in .308 with a 3-9 magnification scope. A dependable rifle in a common and affordable cartridge. This is the obvious default choice, and grants the flexibility to take longer range shots if I ever have the chance. Some candidates include a Winchester XPR, Bergara b14, Tikka T3, and Ruger American.

Option B: A lever action chambered in 357. Not ideal for many environments, but both the rifle and cartridge will work just fine under 75 yards or so. Bonus points because I find these very aesthetically pleasing and can cost-effectively use it as a dual hunting and plinking tool. Ideally without the need of a scope, but I accept I may be very wrong in the notion you can hunt deer without a scope in VT. Some candidates include a henry big boy, Classic Series Model 1894, and possibly a Winchester.

Again, I am very much a beginner here, so I appreciate you patience when it inevitably comes to correcting me. Thanks, stay safe, and happy hunting!

I am looking to get into duck and goose hunting. I live near Burlington but willing to travel. Any suggestions or tips? Anyone local that would like to conect as a guide or mentor? Thanks!

I am a new hunter here, and looking to go out for the first time with a more experienced hunter. I have purchased both a novice pass and a regular season(deer). I am located in Shelburne but I am willing to travel a little bit. you can email @ fwnestor@gmail.com .

Any help is appreciated

-felix

Need to tune up and restring an old bow. Any archery shop recommendations near White River Junction?

Hi all, I live in the NNE and have been going to some local spots for fishing recently and it's been pretty lackluster. I've tried various spots along the Winooski River and the Lake to no luck. Colchester Pond is hit or miss (lately, miss).

After speaking to some other anglers it sounds like they're all experiencing something similar. Does anybody have any recommendations for local fishing, in/near Burlington?

I tried Shelburne Pond today, which is normally a great spot for me, and exclusively caught sun, not fish. I know it's called fishing, not catching, but it'd be nice to catch something other than a sun burn!

Edit: it would be extremely helpful if you could provide the bait/lures used at spots as well!

Glad to report the trash bill wound up in the trash.

From Vermont Traditions Coalition:

Hello All,

This is a happy note.

This year saw the largest threat to the future of hunting, trapping, fishing, and scientific wildlife management that Vermont has experienced. We’ve talked plenty about bill S.258 for the last five months so I’m not going to rehash it all here. Thanks to your responsiveness and support, we were able to keep this bill from even reaching Governor Scott’s desk.

I am happy to report that S.258 is dead!

This bill, sponsored by Senators Bray, Hardy, White, and McCormack from Addison and Windsor Counties follows the pattern established in western states where activists were appointed to these boards and almost immediately upended what has been working for well over a century for both citizens and wildlife. It was so bad that we immediately started fighting at the moment it was released because it was certain they were going to try to pass it. Many bills are written and never even spoken about again, but this clearly was not going to be one of them.

The Vermont Traditions Coalition took the lead role in ensuring that this bad idea didn’t become law. We and other conservation partners called you for support and you came to the call.

The fact that you, our supporters, showed up every time we asked, made all the difference in the world. Our friends at the Federation and the Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus held a mixer, and you showed up. We asked you to come during the day, to spend time in the building, and to talk to people. You showed up, many of you taking time off from work to do so. So many of you signed up to speak about the bill that the Senate natural resources committee burned two weeks of their valuable time, taking testimony, and still didn’t get to everybody who wanted to speak.

The bill was bad enough that it was struggling in the Senate, but then there were rumors of a deal that was made, changes were made to the bill, and it passed over to the House. I immediately began speaking to House members, having conversations with them individually, and sending them lists of the reasons this bill was a bad idea; not the least of which was the hypocrisy of a bill that proclaimed a need to “give control” to the fish and wildlife department, but then proceeded to make wildlife management decisions at the legislative level.

We asked you to write, and you did.

We asked you to call, and you did.

Then the house committee began working on it. They took testimony, but not everybody who wished to speak got the opportunity.

On Wednesday, April 24, Chair Amy Sheldon indicated that she would like to vote the bill out of committee and send it for final approval on Friday. Former Senator John Rodgers, James Ehlers, and I had scheduled a rally/press conference for Thursday, April 25. Once again, we asked you to take time off from work and join us, and once again you did. The rally was not just about S.258, but hunters turned out by the hundreds.

We filled the cafeteria, we filled the Cedar Creek room and overflowed it, and every time you cheered, there was nowhere in the building that you were not heard! THIS is what happens when we show up!

Over the next few months, we will be talking about primary elections, and how to make your vote as effective as possible. We will be discussing specific legislators who have a primary opponent, and who the hunting community should be coming out to vote against based on their prior records. This is a proactive approach to restoring some reason to Montpelier.

The antis have put forth the idea that hunters take; that when we harvest an animal, somehow society loses. That’s not true, and we all know it. We have given more to conservation than they will ever bother with. We always seek to conserve wildlife along with this lifestyle that is so meaningful to us.

The work this community has done has been incredible, and now it’s time for us to set our efforts to ensuring the future of hunting in Vermont by becoming the political force that we can be. In a state where elections are routinely won by less than 11 votes, this community of anglers, hunters, and trappers has the power to determine more of what Montpelier looks like then we have been doing, and we must.

So take a moment, appreciate the magnitude of what we did here, congratulate yourselves, all of you, for your parts. We will soon be having another conversation and asking you to show up again. The Vermont Traditions Coalition has never taken part in elections, we have always been an observer. Beginning this year, that dynamic is changing. We will be actively engaging in election politics. We will be fundraising to support candidates who oppose the legislators that routinely attack our lifestyle. we will need your help in these efforts, and then we will need you to vote.

Now if you will excuse me for a couple days, I’m going to take a moment myself. I’m pretty sure there are a couple of turkeys out in these green mountains that have been waiting for me to have some free time.

My Best Regards, Mike Covey

Hi All, my wife and I will be moving to Vergennes and I have a few questions as it relates to upland hunting:

Is anyone a part of the Ruffed Grouse Society or other organizations that I could join/connect with when I move out there? I'm a part of the Pheasants Forever chapter near me.

Where do you all go for dog training? I called up Peaceable Hill Farm, and seems like a fun place to get the dog on pen-raised birds every once in a while.

Favorite ranges for clays?

I have a 3-year old GWP and we primarily hunt quail on public land. Looking forward to experiencing the NE woods and getting on some grouse and woodcock!

Thanks in advance everyone.

https://preview.redd.it/0xxbc3df0fnc1.jpg?width=2295&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4945f16c026f9e3ab79c5b0208cffc1d818df79

Hey guys. I'm not in VT but I'm hoping you don't mind my post here.

I'm in grad school out in Colorado and am starting to get into hunting, so figured I'd kill two birds with one stone for a project and see what'd be important in a hunting app.

I've got my own opinions but I know y'all have strong ones too and they're probably based on more experience....Could you take ~5m to answer a short handful of questions here? That's a link to a Microsoft Forms survey.

Or, if you prefer a short chat about it, grab some time here (calendly link) and let's talk.

HUGE thanks to anybody that shares their opinions/ideas and big thanks to everyone anyway.

Senator Bray and some other clowns are again pushing a bill that would restructure the fish and wildlife board to be 3/4 full of legislature appointed members and turning it away from hunting/fishing/trapping based management towards "non-consumptive" based.

Not the first time, one of those they seem to try every year hoping to sneak it through I think.

Hi, as the title says I'm looking for ways to find public state lands where hunting is permitted from what I could find you can hunt on most WMAs but is there an easier way to find land? Are some of the apps like OnX worth it for that?

Hey there, in rochester (western Windsor) and looking for some spots to turkey hunt before the season is out. Also would love to do some nuisance bear hunting if any farmers are looking.

Looking for some advice on hunting turkeys in Vermont. I’m from South Carolina so terrain and weather are completely opposite. Anyone with private land I’d be willing to pay if it’s great hunting. Any help is useful!

Hey folks, names Nate. I’m 29 and I’ve only been hunting for 2 years but I’m real serious about getting better and see this as something I want to do for the rest of my life. problem is I currently don’t have anyone to hunt with. figured I reach out on here and see if anyone’s in the same boat. Maybe this could start a small hunting club or crew. Idk. I’m in Windsor county. Hit me up.

I have 15 completely forested acres in the lower NEK. It was logged maybe 20 years ago. Lot of young birch and maple trees. I'm trying to help the biodiversity and get more animal activity in the area. What species of plants/trees are good for that in this area?

Check out this post and feel free to back me up (but please try and keep it civil and fact oriented)

https://www.reddit.com/r/vermont/comments/11syp9q/vermont_loves_otters_why_kill_and_trap_them/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I moved back to VT from MA a few years ago and settled down. One of the things that's been on my mind since the move back has been the desire to get back into deer hunting again. Honestely, I don't know if I should even be saying "get back into" as my experience is pretty limited. I grew up going on youth day and some days in the hunting season with my grandfather on some land that his friends owned. That was between the ages of 12-15, but I'm 36 now...if that helps to paint the picture at all.

Anyways...I shared this sentiment with my brother in-law, who has never hunted before, and he told me that he's been trying to find some information and guidance on how to get into hunting when you're in your 30's.

I'm wondering if any of you have any information, recommendations, or general guidance on where to start. Specifically, where do you go? All of the places that I can think of are now either posted, or the land has changed hands and is no longer available.

TL;DR - I'm in my 30's and have minimal deer hunting experience. I really want to hunt next season. Where do I start?

I stumbled on the Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve while looking for information on a different topic. It turns out you can hunt there with a simple registration. I need help finding trail information or something else about the mountain. A friend of mine owns property in Woodbury and we are always interested in scouting new places.

I wana go squirrel hunting with my airgun. Is that leagal? Also, can i hunt both reds and greys? if i dont get answers will call the warden.

If anyone here traps or hunts for fur, I might soon get my fur buying license and be looking to buy some fur. Ive got some logistics to figure out, might do just traveling meetups periodically, so if you don't want to or can't do the yearly auction it'd be an option.

Trying to guage interest and get a feel for who/where i need to focus on reaching people with fur to sell. Not able to buy much quantity, at least not yet, so mostly looking for good quality skins.

I don’t think I’ve seen a single deer past noon while hunting the past two years.

Mostly I sit in the woods over funnels/travel routes. I try to stay put all day long but I’m starting to think my spot is a good “morning spot” and not so good of an “evening spot”.

Any tips? What are deer doing differently at dusk compared to dawn? Located in K