Vermont 2021-2022 Whitetail Muzzleloader Season Results

Muzzleloading hunters in Vermont took 3,265 whitetail in the 2021-2022 season, accounting for 21% of the statewide harvest, slightly less than the percent taken by Archery hunters in the state.

Hunters harvested a total of 15,858 deer during the Vermont deer seasons in 2021, providing about 3.2 million servings of local, nutritious venison. The total harvest was 13% less than the previous 3-year average of 18,183, and 4% more than the previous 10-year average of 15,300. The buck harvest of 9,133 was 7% less than the previous 3-year average of 9,780 bucks, and 2% more than the previous 10-year average of 8,938. The total harvest was 16% less than the 18,990 deer harvested in 2020, while the total buck harvest was 1% less than the 2020 buck harvest of 9,255.

October Muzzleloader Season
(October 28 – October 31, 2021)
Hunters harvested a total of 869 deer during the October muzzleloader season, down 55% from 1,914 deer harvested in 2020. Hunters were required to have a muzzleloader antlerless permit to hunt during this season, and only antlerless deer could be harvested. The harvest was comprised of 81% adult does and 19% fawns. Two legally antlerless adult bucks (both antlers less than 3 inches long) were also reported. The total harvest represented 5% of the 18,464 antlerless permits that had been sold by the end of this season

Muzzleloader Season (December 4–12, 2021)
Muzzleloader hunters harvested a total of 2,396 deer during the 9-day December season. This was 9% less than the 2,639 deer taken in 2020 and 43% less than the previous 3-year average of 4,169. The harvest during this season was comprised of 25% adult bucks, 62% adult does, and 13% fawns (Figure 6, Table 1). The combined harvest from the October and December muzzleloader seasons was 3,265 deer. This was 28% lower than
the 4,553 deer taken in 2020, with all the decline coming from the antlerless harvest. The 2021 muzzleloader buck harvest was 2% more than 2020. In 2021, a total of 20,000 antlerless deer permits were authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Board for 19 of the state’s 21 wildlife management units (WMUs). This was 13% less than 2020 (23,000 permits).