Vermont Hunting License: Cost, NR Archery Option & Online Purchase (2026)

Vermont's hunting license is a calendar-year license (January 1–December 31). The base Resident Hunting license costs $28; Non-Resident Hunting is $102. Vermont offers a 5-year license option for multi-season hunters: $134 resident and $504 NR. A Resident Combination (hunt + fish) is $47 and the Non-Resident Combination is $143. Youth under 18 pay $8 resident / $25 NR. The hunting license covers the regular November deer season as part of the base license — separate licenses are required for archery, muzzleloader, turkey, and moose.

Vermont offers a unique Non-Resident Archery Deer Only license for $75 that does not require a base hunting license. This standalone license is specifically for NR hunters who want to pursue only archery deer hunting in Vermont without purchasing the full $102 NR license. It covers only archery deer and cannot be used for any other species. This is one of the few such archery-specific standalone licenses offered by any state and makes Vermont archery accessible to NR hunters doing a quick trip without the full NR license cost.

Vermont's deer rifle season hunting license is included in the base $28 resident / $102 NR purchase — no separate deer gun tag is required. Archery tags ($23 res / $38 NR) and muzzleloader tags ($23 res / $40 NR) are purchased separately. Antlerless deer permits are available by lottery through specific Wildlife Management Units ($10 res / $25 NR). Starting in 2026, hunters may hold up to two antlerless permits if permits remain available in a different WMU. Vermont's license purchase is available at vtfishandwildlife.com and at authorized agents including sporting goods stores and town clerk offices.

Vermont made significant deer hunting regulation changes for 2026. The rifle season now allows harvest of antlerless deer — previously the rifle season was buck-only. This represents a substantial liberalization of Vermont's deer management. Additionally, hunters may now hold up to two antlerless permits simultaneously (one from the standard WMU lottery, and potentially a second from a different WMU if permits are still available). These changes reflect Vermont's effort to increase antlerless harvest and manage the deer herd closer to target population levels.

Vermont's 2026 regular deer season is 16 days (November 14–29). The regular archery season runs October 1–December 15, with an expanded archery window in designated areas September 15–30. Crossbows are legal during archery season. A December muzzleloader season runs November 30–December 13, and an October antlerless muzzleloader opportunity may be available by permit. Vermont's season structure is more layered than a simple rifle-plus-bow calendar, so hunters should match the license, tag, WMU, and method before buying.

Vermont's whitetail deer population density is highest in the Champlain Valley's agricultural lands and lowest in the high-elevation spruce-fir forests of the Green Mountains. The Northeast Kingdom (Essex, Orleans, Caledonia counties) also holds remote deer habitat and Vermont's moose population. Vermont's deer rules now include conditional buck and antlerless-permit details that can change by year and WMU, so hunters should verify the current lawbook rather than relying on a single statewide antler-rule shortcut.

Vermont's moose season is one of the smallest permit allocations in the Northeast. Approximately 180 permits are issued annually — roughly 80 either-sex and 100 antlerless — focused entirely on Wildlife Management Unit E (the Northeast Kingdom). The lottery application fee is $10 resident / $25 NR. Moose tags cost $100 resident / $350 NR. The application deadline is typically mid-June, with results announced before the October 1–19 season. Vermont's moose population has declined from peak levels due to winter tick infestations, which is why antlerless allocations are used for population management rather than herd growth.

Vermont's black bear season is one of the longest and most accessible in the Northeast: September 1 through November 23 (with the season pausing briefly during rifle deer season in some zones). The early bear permit is $5 resident / $15 NR — among the least expensive bear tags in the country. The daily limit is 1 bear per year. No draw required. Bears are found statewide with highest densities in the Green Mountain National Forest and Northeast Kingdom. Vermont allows baiting and hound hunting for bears, making September a productive early season before leaves fall and visibility improves for spot-and-stalk.

Vermont's spring turkey season runs May 1–31 — one of the later spring openers in the Northeast, designed to ensure most hens are on nests before hunting pressure begins. A 2-bird spring limit (bearded only) and a fall season (October 4–19, either sex, 1-bird limit) provide two opportunities per year. Turkey tags are $23 resident / $38 NR. Eastern wild turkeys are distributed statewide, with the highest populations in the Champlain Valley and Connecticut River Valley. Vermont's turkey population recovered from near-extirpation through reintroduction efforts in the 1960s–70s and now supports a stable huntable population.