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Hiking During Hunting Season in Vermont

September 6, 2022 by Kristin McLane 11 Comments

September 1st marks the start of Early Black Bear Season in Vermont, followed by many other hunting seasons throughout the fall. Hunting is allowed on all GMC owned and managed lands, including along the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail corridors in Vermont.  Please be safe when you are hiking and be respectful of all trail users.  The Green Mountain Club strongly encourages hikers to:

  • Wear blaze orange clothing, visible from both the front and back.
  • Avoid wearing brown or white, the colors of a deer.
  • Be especially careful while hiking in valleys and near roads and trailheads.
  • Avoid hiking during dawn and dusk due to low visibility.
  • Please leave dogs at home. If you do bring a furry friend, dress your dog with bright bandanas or a blaze orange vest.
  • Wave and talk to make your presence known to hunters.
  • Stick to well-populated trails where hunters are likely to avoid.

This is a wonderful time of year to go hiking in Vermont.  It’s also a good time to refresh your safety awareness with regard to hunting season and general preparedness.  A prepared hiker is a happy hiker!  Have fun out there!

Check out Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s 2022 Deer Season guidelines here for more information about where, when, and how hunting is permitted in Vermont.

Where should I hike during hunting season?

Stick to the guidelines above. For some general recommendations, try:

Prospect Rock via the Long Trail, Johnson – MODERATE
Wiessner Woods, Stowe – EASY (hunting is prohibited)
Camel’s Hump Summit via Burrows Trail Loop, Huntington – MODERATELY DIFFICULT
Thundering Falls, Killington — ACCESSIBLE
Bromley Mountain, Winhall — MODERATE

Please note that with the exception of Wiessner Woods, hunting is permitted on these lands. For detailed descriptions and directions, click here.

Share the trail and be safe out there, hikers!

Filed Under: Education, Hiking, News, Trail Tagged With: Fall Hiking

Comments

  1. Kyle Grey says

    September 7, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    I am super excited about hunting season this year. I actually had plans to go to Vermont to hunt this year. looking for some good spots to go to.

    Reply
  2. carole St-Jan says

    September 11, 2017 at 7:07 am

    Hi, I am planning to hike Jay Peak Mountain through the Long Trail ( road 245 I believe) on Octobre the 9th. Do I need a permit if I bring around 10 Friends? If Yes how much does the permit cost, and I do I proceed to get the permit. I am à Québec résident. Also I dont think that your Trail closes during the Hunting season but woukd like a confirmation. Best regards

    Reply
    • Kristin McLane says

      September 25, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Carole! The trail is not closed during hunting season but there are precautions we recommend that people take (see blog post above). You can find information on group hiking and which overnight sites large groups can fit at on our website: https://www.greenmountainclub.org/groups/ For any other questions about group hiking, please email [email protected]. Enjoy your hike!

      Reply
    • Searlaid says

      September 7, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      11 people is too high a number for VT trails. They are extremely fragile, subject to erosion, and, in alpine zones, narrow and delicate. 8 is a maximum. If you have more friends, I suggest splitting up the group to hike about 1/2 mile apart and arrange meeting places.

      Reply
  3. Wilfred Moses says

    September 8, 2018 at 4:52 am

    Perfect review.. Thanks for the perfect article.

    Reply
  4. Ryan Smith says

    October 23, 2018 at 2:32 am

    I am super excited for going on hunting this month. I think I should make a plan for Vermont this year. Thanks for this awesome post.

    Reply
  5. Richard Andrews says

    November 3, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    While the recommended precautions make sense, I urge hikers not to be afraid of hiking during hunting season. Statistics show that walking an hour in the woods was 10 times safer than an hour of riding in a car 20 years ago. Today hunters must take a safety course, so the woods are safer than ever. So enjoy them!

    Reply
  6. Thanh Ngan Tran says

    November 6, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    A useful article!
    Thank you so much

    Reply
  7. Watson R says

    January 8, 2021 at 1:30 am

    Very Informative article thank you so much.

    Reply
  8. Angelina Carmella says

    April 27, 2021 at 7:08 pm

    Thanks for sharing

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tips to keep fall hikers can stay safe during Vermont hunting seasons 💥👩👩💥 - Latest News says:
    October 5, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    […] blaze orange clothing, visible from both the front and back” the Green Mountain Club suggests. Avoid brown and white, which could be mistaken for a deer — or black, which could look like a […]

    Reply

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Ask a Science Teacher: Why is the Long Trail so Muddy?

March 27, 2023

Vermont — and especially the Long Trail — is known for being sort of muddy. We even have an official fifth season, "mud season." Why is Vermont (sometimes known as "Vermud") and the Long Trail so muddy? Why is the Long Trail so muddy? To answer, we asked Joe Bahr, newly minted author of the … Read more

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Mission

The Green Mountain Club is the founder and maintainer of the Long Trail - the oldest long distance hiking trail in America. Established in 1910 to build this trail stretching the length of Vermont, the club now also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and trails in the Northeast Kingdom in its mission to "make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people." Read more...

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