The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board will hold two more public hearings on May 6 and 8 to solicit input on deer and the department’s 2024 Antlerless Harvest and Youth/Novice Recommendation.

The hearings are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:

Monday, May 6 – Rutland High School, 22 Stratton Rd, Rutland, VT 05701

Wednesday, May 8 – Thetford Academy, 304 Academy Rd, Thetford, VT 05074

“Recent mild winters will cause deer numbers to increase in much of Vermont in 2024. In many areas, deer numbers will exceed what the habitat can support,” said Nick Fortin, deer and moose project leader for the Fish and Wildlife Department. “To maintain a healthy and sustainable deer population, the 2024 recommendation aims to reduce deer numbers in much of the state.”

The department’s 2024 Antlerless Harvest and Youth/Novice Recommendation is available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website.

In addition to the public hearings, anyone can leave a comment on the proposals by emailing ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov. Comments must be received by May 12.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information. Please send an e-mail to Nick.Fortin@vermont.gov or call 802-793-8777 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY).