Vermont Hunting License Cost & Doe Permits (2026)

If you are checking Vermont hunting license cost before checkout, start with the base license: $28 resident and $102 non-resident for the 2026 calendar year. Vermont also sells a 5-year hunting license ($134 resident / $504 non-resident), a Resident Combination hunt-fish license for $47, and a Non-Resident Combination for $143. Youth under 18 pay $8 resident / $25 non-resident. The true total cost depends on the hunt: the base license covers the regular November deer season, but archery deer, muzzleloader deer, turkey, early bear, waterfowl, and moose each add a separate license, permit, stamp, or lottery step.

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 regular November deer season is included in the base $28 resident / $102 non-resident hunting license, so there is no separate firearm deer tag for that season. Archery deer ($23 resident / $38 non-resident) and muzzleloader deer ($23 resident / $40 non-resident) are separate licenses. Vermont doe permits are managed as WMU-specific antlerless permits for the regular and muzzleloader seasons; archery antlerless deer use archery tags instead. Vermont's license purchase is available at vtfishandwildlife.com and at authorized agents including sporting goods stores and town clerk offices. Use the Vermont deer tag cost, season dates, and antlerless permit rules page before buying add-ons.

Vermont made significant deer hunting regulation changes for 2026. The regular November deer season now allows antlerless deer harvest when the hunter has the proper WMU antlerless permit, instead of functioning only as a buck season. A hunter may also hold up to two antlerless permits at one time if the permits are for different WMUs and the second permit is available under current-year rules. For anyone planning a 2026 Vermont doe permit, the practical check is permit type, WMU, and season, not just a statewide yes/no answer.

Vermont's 2026 regular deer season is November 14-29. The regular archery season runs October 1-December 15, with an expanded archery window in designated areas September 15-30. Youth and novice weekend is November 7-8. The October muzzleloader antlerless season is October 29-November 1 by permit only, and the December muzzleloader season runs November 30-December 13. Crossbows are legal during archery season. 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.