Young Hunters and Biologists React to Vermont Youth Hunting Weekend

Young Vermont Hunters Learn Deer Science Ahead of State Season

Youth hunting weekend gives young Vermonters a chance to step into the woods before the official deer hunting season opens. WCAX reported that hunters brought deer to a check station at Back Country Sports in St. Albans to take part in an adult-chaperoned hunt that serves as both a practical lesson in the sport and part of a broader deer conservation project.

Twelve-year-old Harper Couture harvested a deer weighing nearly 120 pounds with help from her father, Josh Couture of Fairfax. “I think this is my tenth deer, so…” Harper Couture told WCAX. Josh Couture noted that his daughters have completed hunter certification, calling them certified slayers and taking pride in passing down the process. “The ways of the woods, you know what to do, what not to do, how to be quiet,” he said.

Check Stations Turn Young Hunters Into Citizen Scientists

Biologists with the state and UVM students operate check stations to collect physical data from every harvested buck or doe. Amy Alfieri, a Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist, explained the purpose behind the mandatory checks. “You know, harvesting deer helps us maintain habitat,” Alfieri said, adding that the gathered measurements help state biologists manage the herd.

Young Hunters and Biologists React to Vermont Youth Hunting Weekend

“Our deer biologist is the one who has to take in all of this data, enter it, plug it in and learn from this information that we’re all gathering for him,” Alfieri said, as reported by WCAX.

Natalie Gagnier, who has hunted for five years, welcomed the data collection process at the station. “It’s awesome because I get to know more about it and how it’s like lived its life and all that,” Gagnier said.

Biologists Record Herd Data Before Hunting Season Begins

The youth weekend occurs the weekend before deer hunting season begins. Biologists rely on this window to record herd data before hunting pressure increases across the state. Fourteen-year-old Mason Smith noted that the timing alters conditions in the field. “I feel like the deer are a lot less spooked, like they come in easier, there’s a lot more,” Smith said.

Once state staff complete the measurements, hunters take their deer home. Josh Couture confirmed that his family utilizes the animal fully. “Yeah we eat just about every part of it that we can,” he said. Harper Couture described her role in preparing the meat after the field dressing is finished. “Yeah, I don’t really like taking all the guts out and everything because that really grosses me out, but I do like cutting it up when it’s already like cleaned and stuff,” she said.