Vermont Fish & Wildlife

Vermont Fish & Wildlife This is the official page of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department protects the state's fish and wildlife resources by protecting habitat, implementing species management plans, informing and educating the public, and performing basic research. The Fish and Wildlife Department central office staff oversees daily administrative activities, including fiscal control, hunting, fishing and trapping license distribution, access de

velopment, public affairs, and federal aid. The department is currently staffed by about 125 individuals, with most working out of seven offices and five fish culture facilities. The job duties of these men and women are diverse and include such things as collecting fish and wildlife population data, protecting important wildlife habitat, raising fish, enforcing laws, developing educational materials and providing customer service through the mail and over the phone. The department owns 156 fishing access areas and 100 wildlife management areas totaling more than 135,000 acres and two youth conservation camps. The department's annual budget totals approximately $25 million dollars which is primarily funded by user-based fees such as license and excise taxes on gasoline and on hunting and fishing equipment. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, experience level, s*x, or gender identity. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities at department programs are available on request at no cost. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information. Requests should be made as early as possible, for example an interpreter must be requested at least two weeks in advance. Please call 802-828-1000 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY). Public Posting Policy: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/about-us/social-media-posting-policy

By nature, Vermont's black bears are curious, quick-learning and have an amazing sense of smell. When an adult female be...
06/04/2026

By nature, Vermont's black bears are curious, quick-learning and have an amazing sense of smell. When an adult female bear, also called a "sow," learns that she can find food from trash cans, bird seed, backyard chickens, compost or other unsecured food, she passes that knowledge onto her cubs. We want bears of all ages to rely on natural foods like seeds, berries, insects, carrion and nuts. Read on for some helpful tips that you can use to protect bears by discouraging this type of learned behavior:

🐻 Never feed bears. You can help keep Vermont's bears wild by taking down birdfeeders, securing your garbage behind closed doors or in bear-proof bins, and feeding pets inside. Once a bear is habituated to looking for human food, they will keep using that knowledge unless they are taught otherwise. It’s better for the bears if we humans double down on bear-proofing.
🐻 Keep coops, compost, bees, and livestock behind electric fences, and don't wait until you have a problem to set up a fence.
🐻 Be loud to make bears feel unwelcome near homes, yards, and campgrounds.

Together, we can all do our part to keep Vermont's bears wild, and if you do have a bear encounter in your community, we encourage you to report it on our website.

06/03/2026

Sound up! For the final installment in our Sounds of Spring series, we’re highlighting the unmistakable springtime chorus of coyotes howling, yipping and yapping. Have you ever felt like you were surrounded by coyotes as their noises pick up? This may be caused by something called the "beau geste" effect. This is when each coyote creates a variety of sounds, and as those yips, yaps and howls travel, scatter and echo through the surrounding environment, a pack of coyotes can easily sound double or triple the size! This vocalization is likely used by coyotes to protect their dens by setting a territorial boundary and warning rival packs that the area is already claimed, or to call the family back together if individuals have wandered.

📷 Here, a lone pup sits in the den entrance and listens to the sounds of its family group fill the night. Footage and audio captured on trail camera from a project in Chittenden County in conjunction with the UVM research forests.

What secretive, native bottom-feeder leaps like a tarpon when hooked, yet prowls Vermont’s waters largely under the rada...
06/02/2026

What secretive, native bottom-feeder leaps like a tarpon when hooked, yet prowls Vermont’s waters largely under the radar of all but the most masterful anglers?

Bit of a trick question, because this fish is in fact three closely related species, all members of the genus Moxostoma. Meet the Redhorses, strikingly handsome suckers that can push 10 lbs and have a weak spot for delicately presented wet flies. And while for years, we lumped all three Redhorses into one category for the purposes of dolling out Master Angler recognition, we’ve lately updated the program to give each species their own moment in the limelight.

Vermont’s native Redhorses are the Silver, Shorthead, and Greater. At a glance these fish look pretty similar. As an aside, they’re also all kind of beautiful, with a strange mix of resemblances to both the Common Carp and Bonefish. The trick to telling them apart is to flip them over and look at the form and shape of the mouth, as well as to make note of some other features including the color of the tail fin, shape of their dorsal fin, and head shape – all easy things to observe! You can also count the number of rays in their dorsal fins or number of scales from top to bottom at the base of the tail.

To help anglers know what features to check on the fly, we’ve teamed up with Redhorse expert Olaf Nelson on a very handy graphic, available on our website at the link below. We heartily recommend saving a screenshot to your phone. That way next time you land a good Redhorse (a feat easier said than done, of course), you can give it a closer look and learn what species you’ve caught!

https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/vermont-critters/fish/redhorse-sucker

📷 Glamor shot of a nice Silver Redhorse captured during spring walleye sampling (VFWD); some impressive Master Angler Redhorses including (from left to right) a Greater by Susan Winter, a Shorthead by Drew Price, and a Silver by Fisher McNaughton

We are saddened to share the loss of Sgt. Ron Audet – a colleague, mentor, supporter, and all-around great human being –...
05/29/2026

We are saddened to share the loss of Sgt. Ron Audet – a colleague, mentor, supporter, and all-around great human being – who dedicated 22 years to the Vermont Warden Service, in addition to working in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff and local police officer. During his time as a deputy warden, he was instrumental in holding intentional violators of fish and wildlife crimes accountable. We’d like to share these words from Colonel Justin Stedman commemorating Ron's legacy:

"For those of you who did not know Ron, he was a deputy for many years, hanging up his Game Warden uniform in 2022. I was fortunate enough to work with Ron from time to time and he was a pivotal part in the most insane night of my game warden career as we chased a poacher all over back roads and main roads (and a cross-country ski trail) in parts of the NW and NE districts. Ron never lost his cool and was an absolute stud that night."

From all of us at Vermont Fish & Wildlife, our thoughts are with Ron's family, friends, Morristown Police Department and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.

📷 Photos courtesy of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and the Vermont Police Academy.

You're likely in the trenches this time of year prepping your vegetable garden and weeding your flower beds, but have yo...
05/27/2026

You're likely in the trenches this time of year prepping your vegetable garden and weeding your flower beds, but have you given any thought to your bird garden yet?

In this type of garden, birds don't grow on trees, but certain birds do love certain plants and that's when the bird garden magic happens. ✨🐦🌱 Growing native plants in your yard is a beautiful and fun way attract birds to your home that not only creates more bird-friendly habitats and provides food and shelter to birds year-round, but is also a bear-safe way to connect with Vermont's bird life after you take your feeders down.

If you'd like to attract birds to your home with native plants and learn more about which plants are best for the birds in your area, visit the Audubon's Native Plant Database for more information.

📷 Photo 1: A Ruby-throated Hummingbird sips nectar while hovering in front of a Red Columbine. Photo 2: Thrushes are just one of many bird families thought to be attracted to Gray Birch trees, as evidenced by this Eastern Bluebird. Photos by Tyler Pockette.

State offices are closed today, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day.📷 A Yellow-rumped Warbler, also affectionate...
05/25/2026

State offices are closed today, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day.

📷 A Yellow-rumped Warbler, also affectionately known as a butterbutt, perches on a budding branch / VFWD.

Long weekend 🤝 time on the water. Memorial Day, and the unofficial kickoff to boating season, is here! If you're plannin...
05/22/2026

Long weekend 🤝 time on the water. Memorial Day, and the unofficial kickoff to boating season, is here! If you're planning to spend some time out on the water this holiday weekend, here are some boat smart tips to keep in mind before you launch:

• Clean, Drain and Dry your boat and gear every time you leave the water.
• Be sure to have the proper safety equipment for everyone on board, especially life jackets!
• Even with the recent warm weather, water temperatures are still cold across the state, with some lakes and rivers only in the low-to-mid 50s, and can quickly become dangerous if you unexpectedly wind up in the water.
• Prep and pack your boat away from the launch ramp so that everyone can get on and off the water safely and efficiently.

Have fun and enjoy all that Vermont's waters have to offer!

Here's a neat wildlife sighting for your Thursday: this isn't a fox, but a rare occurrence of a blonde coyote! Although ...
05/21/2026

Here's a neat wildlife sighting for your Thursday: this isn't a fox, but a rare occurrence of a blonde coyote! Although unusual and certainly striking, a light, sandy coat like this one isn't unheard of for a coyote. In fact, their coloration has a lot of variation due to genetics and environmental factors, and here in Vermont it's possible to see coyotes on a color spectrum ranging from the more typical grizzled gray to black, reddish, blonde, and every shade in-between.

📷 Thanks for sharing this excellent sighting from Rutland County by B. Sanderson!

05/18/2026

Looking for a shot at landing a big Brook Trout this year? Consider taking a trip to this scenic and pristine stretch of the Deerfield River in Searsburg!

Need a few more reasons to check it out?
🐟 This unique fishery is the only river in the state stocked with trophy-sized, two-year-old Brook Trout (all others get Rainbow or Brown)!
🐟 The stocked trout are triploid, meaning they're sterile and won’t be able to compromise wild fish genetics.
🐟 The stretch of river does not have robust wild populations which reduces the risk of competition for food and habitat.
🐟 Enjoy the feeling of stepping off the beaten path along this undeveloped stretch of river, which provides great fishing access and moderately challenging fishing conditions!

We hope you get out there and enjoy all this fishery has to offer. And if you reel in a big fish while you're there, snap a photo and submit it to the Master Angler Program: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-events-and-programs/master-angler-program

It's a Friday in May and, really, how could we not post about Vermont's wonderful spring birds? This time of year Scarle...
05/15/2026

It's a Friday in May and, really, how could we not post about Vermont's wonderful spring birds?

This time of year Scarlet Tanagers grace the canopy, American Redstarts flit about the forest edges, Indigo Buntings abound in brushy fields, and it seems like you can hardly step into the woods at dawn or dusk without hearing the fluting song of the Wood Thrush. For those in the birdy know, of course, this is just a tiny sampling of the season's delights. Whether you're an old hand at birding or just starting out, we hope you find a moment to admire these ambassadors of spring over the weekend!

📷Scarlet Tanager by Sam Lapp, American Redstart by NPS, Indigo Bunting by USFWS, and Wood Thrush by NPS.

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1 National Life Drive
Montpelier, VT
05602

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Wednesday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7:45am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:45am - 4:30pm

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