2010 Vermont Deer Season

[TJR]

Hey guys,

How has your seasons gone so far? What have we seen?

I filled my tag in a Canadian Zec with a 4pt 130lb a week before our season. My pops shot a nice 4pt 120lb on the first sunday of rifle season here in the good ol'green mountains (sorry no picture). I followed him with a beautiful 8pt 140lb on the second sunday of the rifle season. my other hunting partner and brother passed on a 3pt this last weekend in hope of something a bit larger. we are getting very excited for muzzleloader as we have a few doe tags and have been seeing a lot of deer. We hunt right on the edge of the NEK.

Lets hear from some others! Good luck as the season winds down!

TJR

[kevjack6]

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on your successful seasons. Like you, I also hunt in QC. What area do you hunt in? I shot a 5pt 210 on the opening morning up there (picture is in one of the other threads). I hunt in the Stanstead area.

What part of VT are you from?

Anyway, good to see another fellow Vermonter on here!

[TJR]

Kevjack,

I got the 4pt within the Zec Pontiac area, slightly west of Maniwaki, QC.

I live where Williston/Richmond/Essex all meet.

Thats a monster 5pt you knocked down! They certainly grow them big north of the border, Congratulations!

Definitely looking forward to talking deer within the forum!

TJR

[New England Hunter]

11.29.10 - Windham County

176# 8point. 50 yd shot w/ .270 win. dropped where he stood.

Saw a lot of deer this year, mostly doe. Saw this guy around 9:30am in the freezing rain - for those of you in the woods the morning after Thanksgiving you know the weather was miserable! He was running with another buck about the same size. I found it a little odd to see two good size buck running together in the midst of the rut. Lucky for me I got to "pick" the one I wanted! Doesn't happen often! Hope you enjoyed your season - sucessful or not it is always great to spend some time in the woods of VT!

[TJR]

N.E.H

Welcome to the forum! (in a BIG way!)

What a nice Vermont buck! obviously a treat getting to see more than one at a time as well! I can only speak for myself, although you may agree, but I have some of the best luck in the worst weather. Within my family we have harvested several nice deer in some very miserable conditions (for a hunter to be sitting in). Further more, there is something magic about that period of time around thanksgiving in Vermont, it just seems the big boys are out and about or something!

We have also seen alot of doe this year within our hunting camp, granted we are more north of you, but it gives me at least some confidence in the State's claims as far as deer numbers go. Now if we can harvest some of those doe and let some bucks take their place...I think we could see some more stellar VT Bucks like yours!

Maybe this is worth another topic, but i noticed the rack on your buck, although very symmetrical side to side definitely has a larger and smaller antler. I have only shot one deer (above) that had tines of relatively equal size. Many of our harvests seem to favor one side! Is this a trend in your neck of the woods? or is this a genetic trend in VT? thoughts?

Get pumped for Smoke-Poles!

TJR

[New England Hunter]

TJR: 

Thanks!  It was definitely a season to remember!  I too have had some good luck in bad weather - it pays to get out of bed and never give up!

I havent really looked into the difference in antler size in the past so cannot really give an opinion on your obsevation.  This buck does have one antler slightly larger than the other but not a drastic difference.  Not sure if it is due to nutrition, injury, genes, or a cobintation of one or more.

Here are a few more photos of him while getting him out of the woods.  This is the first time I have had a 4-wheeler to get one out - definitely helps, we typically hike in about a mile, which makes for a long drag!  Fortunatly I had the 4-wheeler for this big boy!