WMU H, Vermont

Central Vermont Green Mountain terrain with rugged forested ridgelines, hardwood and mixed-conifer slopes, stream drainages, and broader valley flats in the Rutland area. Elevation ranges from roughly 400 feet in the Otter Creek valley bottoms to over 3,500 feet on Green Mountain peaks. Forest cover is predominantly northern hardwoods (sugar maple, beech, yellow birch) transitioning to spruce-fir at higher elevations, with agricultural fields and brushy edges in the valley corridors providing classic deer and turkey edge habitat.

moderate

Antlerless deer permits for WMU H are determined annually by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board in early summer via public hearings. Permits are issued by lottery (one per hunter per WMU via lottery; a second permit for a different WMU may be purchased if unallocated permits remain). Starting in 2026, antlerless permits can be used during the regular rifle season as well as the muzzleloader seasons, and hunters may hold two permits simultaneously if for different WMUs. Permit numbers are lower than historical averages due to new harvest management rules; check vtfishandwildlife.com for the current allocation. A buck in WMU H must have at least one antler with two or more points of 1 inch or longer.

DEER: Archery Oct 1-Dec 15, 2026 (continuous, no closure during rifle season under new 2026 rules); expanded archery zones in designated areas open Sept 15-30 for antlerless only; Youth/Novice weekend Nov 7-8; regular rifle season Nov 14-29; October muzzleloader antlerless season Oct 29-Nov 1 (permit required, if allocated); December muzzleloader Nov 30-Dec 13. Legal buck requires 2+ points per antler in WMU H. BEAR: Statewide fair-chase season (no baiting), Sept 1-Nov 13 early season, Nov 14-22 late season; hound hunting allowed with bear dog permit (residents Sept 1, nonresidents Sept 15); one bear per calendar year; premolar tooth submission required within 30 days. Bears are found throughout WMU H given its extensive forest cover. TURKEY: Spring youth/novice Apr 25-26, spring regular May 1-31 statewide; fall archery all WMUs Oct 1-Nov 13; fall shotgun/archery in WMU H Oct 24-Nov 1; either sex in fall. MOOSE: No moose permits allocated for WMU H or central Vermont in recent years; all 2026 permits concentrated in WMU E (Northeast Kingdom) for winter tick management. Moose may be encountered in WMU H but are not a huntable target.

Rugged Green Mountain backcountry with extensive GMNF roadless access for DIY hunters; fair-chase black bear season with good forest cover; spring turkey season statewide May 1-31 plus a fall shotgun/archery turkey season Oct 24-Nov 1 in WMU H; deer hunting across classic northern hardwood habitat with archery Oct 1-Dec 15 and 16-day rifle season Nov 14-29; no moose permits allocated outside WMU E (northeastern VT) in recent years so moose is incidental/watch-only in WMU H.