Vermont WMU J1: deer harvest, legal bucks, seasons and public land
Vermont's Wildlife Management Unit J1 covers 568 square miles of Washington, Orange, Windsor and Addison counties. Hunters took 1,035 deer there in 2025, 521 bucks and 514 antlerless, against a five-year average of 992. A legal buck in WMU J1 needs at least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer. 3.3% of the unit is public land, the largest share state forest (7,286 acres).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: VFWD's 2025 harvest reports. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons. Land: ANR and PAD-US.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestState forestState parkNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceWMU J1Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 568 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.3% (11,954 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Les Newell WMA, Riley Bostwick WMA, Rochester WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,035 (521 bucks, 514 antlerless) |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025 | 1.96 (bucks 0.99) |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Muzzleloader antlerless permits, 2025 | 1,500 available, 1,500 given out |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 57 (36 male, 21 female) |
| Moose season | None; Vermont hunts moose only in WMUs E1 and E2 |
| Fall turkey, 2026 | Bow and arrow October 1 to November 13; shotgun or bow October 24 to November 1 |
How many deer are taken in WMU J1 each year?
1,035 deer in 2025, the middle of the five years below. Bucks made up 50.3% of the 2025 harvest.
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 521 | 514 | 1,035 |
| 2024 | 553 | 523 | 1,076 |
| 2023 | 574 | 382 | 956 |
| 2022 | 543 | 491 | 1,034 |
| 2021 | 429 | 428 | 857 |
Sources: VFWD 2025 deer harvest report; VFWD 2024 deer harvest report; VFWD 2023 deer harvest report; VFWD 2022 deer harvest report; VFWD 2021 deer harvest report. Each year's WMU rows add up to the report's statewide total.
What made up the antlerless harvest?
| Year | Adult does | Male fawns | Female fawns | Does per 100 bucks | Bucks per square mile | Deer per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 450 | 36 | 28 | 86 | 0.99 | 1.96 |
| 2024 | 436 | 45 | 42 | 79 | 1.05 | 2.04 |
Source: VFWD 2025 deer harvest report; VFWD 2024 deer harvest report. "Per square mile" is deer taken, not deer living there.
Which towns in WMU J1 had the most deer taken?
| Town | County | Deer, 2025 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamstown | Orange | 137 | 3.43 |
| Barre | Washington | 137 | 4.42 |
| Randolph | Orange | 110 | 2.29 |
| Chelsea | Orange | 109 | 2.73 |
| Berlin | Washington | 87 | 2.42 |
| Brookfield | Orange | 75 | 1.83 |
| Northfield | Washington | 75 | 1.67 |
| Moretown | Washington | 74 | 1.85 |
Source: VFWD 2025 deer harvest report, deer by town. Each town is listed under the WMU that holds its centre, so a town on a WMU line counts wholly on one side.
When are the 2026 seasons in WMU J1?
| Season | Dates, 2026 | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Deer, archery | October 1 to December 15 | One legal buck; an antlerless deer may be taken on an archery tag anywhere in the state this year |
| Deer, October muzzleloader | October 29 to November 1 | Antlerless only, with an antlerless permit for the WMU |
| Deer, youth and novice weekend | November 7 to 8 | One deer of either sex, no antler restriction |
| Deer, regular (16 days) | November 14 to 29 | One legal buck; antlerless with a permit (new for 2026) |
| Deer, December muzzleloader | November 30 to December 13 | One legal buck; antlerless with a permit |
| Bear, early season | September 1 to November 13 | |
| Bear, late season | November 14 to 22 | |
| Turkey, spring | May 1 to 31 (youth and novice April 25 to 26) | |
| Turkey, fall | Bow and arrow October 1 to November 13; shotgun or bow October 24 to November 1 |
A legal buck in WMU J1 has at least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer. The yearly limit is four deer, only one a legal buck, with VFWD's exceptions for youth and novice hunters and for a second buck tag.
Sources: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons; VFWD 2026 Vermont Hunting and Trapping Seasons.
How many antlerless permits did WMU J1 get?
1,500 muzzleloader antlerless permits in 2025, 1,500 given out (86 to landowners). Hunters took 76 antlerless deer on them in October and 137 in December, 213 in all; VFWD gives the fill rate as 14%, against 16% for 2020 to 2024.
Source: VFWD 2025 deer harvest report, Table 2. The Fish and Wildlife Board sets each year's numbers in early summer.
How many bears are taken in WMU J1?
57 in 2025: 36 male and 21 female, 5.6% of Vermont's 1,022. The 2026 early season runs September 1 to November 13 and the late season November 14 to 22.
Source: VFWD 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report.
How much public land is in WMU J1?
3.3% of WMU J1 is public land: 11,954 of its 363,227 acres. The largest share is state forest, 7,286 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU J1 |
|---|---|---|
| State forest | 7,286 | 2% |
| Fish and Wildlife land | 1,701 | 0.5% |
| National forest | 1,502 | 0.4% |
| State park | 1,410 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 55 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the WMU line from Vermont ANR land units (state forests, parks and Fish and Wildlife land) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Much of Vermont's private land is open to hunting unless it is posted; this table counts only public ownership.
Wildlife management areas in WMU J1
| WMA | Acres in WMU J1 |
|---|---|
| Les Newell WMA | 585 |
| Riley Bostwick WMA | 386 |
| Rochester WMA | 237 |
Which WMUs border WMU J1?
| WMU | Legal buck | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU G | one antler of 3 inches | 29.8% | 627 | 384 | 46 |
| WMU H | two points on one antler | 17.6% | 892 | 468 | 59 |
| WMU I | one antler of 3 inches | 56.2% | 523 | 333 | 53 |
| WMU J2 | two points on one antler | 2.7% | 1,462 | 742 | 135 |
| WMU M | one antler of 3 inches | 12.1% | 347 | 292 | 48 |
| WMU O | two points on one antler | 3.9% | 956 | 524 | 49 |
Highways crossing WMU J1: I-89 (66 miles), VT 12 (36 miles), VT 14 (31 miles), VT 100 (28 miles), VT 12A (21 miles) and VT 110 (13 miles). Villages inside: Barre.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Vermont WMU J1?
1,035 in 2025: 521 bucks and 514 antlerless deer (VFWD 2025 deer harvest report). That is down from 1,076 in 2024; from 2021 to 2025 the unit averaged 992 a year. VFWD puts the 2025 harvest at 1.96 deer and 0.99 bucks per square mile.
What is a legal buck in WMU J1?
In 2026 a legal buck in WMU J1 is any deer with at least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer (VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons). Youth and novice hunters may take a deer of either sex with no antler restriction on November 7 and 8.
Can you get an antlerless deer permit for WMU J1?
VFWD made 1,500 muzzleloader antlerless permits available for WMU J1 in 2025 and gave out 1,500 by lottery; hunters took 213 antlerless deer on them. For 2026 the permit works in the regular season as well as both muzzleloader seasons, and an antlerless deer may be taken on an archery tag anywhere in the state.
How many bears are taken in WMU J1?
57 in 2025, 36 male and 21 female, out of 1,022 statewide (VFWD 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report). The 2026 early bear season runs September 1 to November 13 and the late season November 14 to 22.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: VFWD 2025 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report; VFWD 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report; VFWD 2025 Moose Harvest Report; earlier years from VFWD's deer harvest reports.
- Seasons and legal buck: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons; VFWD 2026 Vermont Hunting and Trapping Seasons.
- WMU boundary: Vermont ANR Wildlife Management Units. Public land: Vermont ANR land units (state forests, parks and Fish and Wildlife land) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land.
- Highways and villages: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Numbers are copied from VFWD, ANR and federal sources or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.