Vermont WMU J2: deer harvest, legal bucks, seasons and public land
Vermont's Wildlife Management Unit J2 covers 761 square miles of Orange, Caledonia, Windsor and Essex counties. Hunters took 1,462 deer there in 2025, 742 bucks and 720 antlerless, against a five-year average of 1,496. A legal buck in WMU J2 needs at least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer. 2.7% of the unit is public land, the largest share Fish and Wildlife land (7,068 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 Park ServiceArmy Corps of EngineersWMU J2Neighboring WMUsHighway
| Size | 761 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.7% (13,048 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Pine Mountain WMA, Roy Mountain WMA, Kibling Hill WMA, Podunk WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,462 (742 bucks, 720 antlerless) |
| Deer taken per square mile, 2025 | 2.07 (bucks 1.05) |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Muzzleloader antlerless permits, 2025 | 2,000 available, 2,000 given out |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 135 (83 male, 52 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 J2 each year?
1,462 deer in 2025, the middle of the five years below. Bucks made up 50.8% of the 2025 harvest.
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 742 | 720 | 1,462 |
| 2024 | 722 | 799 | 1,521 |
| 2023 | 824 | 681 | 1,505 |
| 2022 | 748 | 884 | 1,632 |
| 2021 | 730 | 631 | 1,361 |
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 | 598 | 55 | 67 | 81 | 1.05 | 2.07 |
| 2024 | 655 | 80 | 64 | 91 | 1.02 | 2.16 |
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 J2 had the most deer taken?
| Town | County | Deer, 2025 | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | Windsor | 131 | 2.98 |
| Tunbridge | Orange | 128 | 2.84 |
| Corinth | Orange | 115 | 2.4 |
| Thetford | Orange | 115 | 2.67 |
| Bradford | Orange | 104 | 3.47 |
| Ryegate | Caledonia | 97 | 2.69 |
| Barnet | Caledonia | 93 | 2.21 |
| Newbury | Orange | 92 | 1.44 |
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 J2?
| 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 J2 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 J2 get?
2,000 muzzleloader antlerless permits in 2025, 2,000 given out (146 to landowners). Hunters took 95 antlerless deer on them in October and 230 in December, 325 in all; VFWD gives the fill rate as 16%, against 17% 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 J2?
135 in 2025: 83 male and 52 female, 13.2% 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 J2?
2.7% of WMU J2 is public land: 13,048 of its 486,988 acres. The largest share is Fish and Wildlife land, 7,068 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU J2 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and Wildlife land | 7,068 | 1.5% |
| State forest | 4,106 | 0.8% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 999 | 0.2% |
| National forest | 789 | 0.2% |
| National Park Service | 82 | under 0.1% |
| State park | 4 | 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 J2
| WMA | Acres in WMU J2 |
|---|---|
| Pine Mountain WMA | 2,418 |
| Roy Mountain WMA | 1,595 |
| Kibling Hill WMA | 909 |
| Podunk WMA | 892 |
| Clover Hill WMA | 499 |
| Washington WMA | 264 |
| West Fairlee WMA | 92 |
| Fairlee Marsh WMA | 59 |
Which WMUs border WMU J2?
| WMU | Legal buck | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU D2 | one antler of 3 inches | 9.1% | 846 | 481 | 74 |
| WMU E2 | one antler of 3 inches | 27% | 197 | 156 | 44 |
| WMU H | two points on one antler | 17.6% | 892 | 468 | 59 |
| WMU J1 | two points on one antler | 3.3% | 1,035 | 521 | 57 |
| WMU O | two points on one antler | 3.9% | 956 | 524 | 49 |
Highways crossing WMU J2: I-91 (118 miles), US 5 (64 miles), VT 113 (23 miles), I-93 (22 miles), VT 25 (18 miles) and US 302 (18 miles). Villages inside: Newbury and Wells River.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Vermont WMU J2?
1,462 in 2025: 742 bucks and 720 antlerless deer (VFWD 2025 deer harvest report). That is down from 1,521 in 2024; from 2021 to 2025 the unit averaged 1,496 a year. VFWD puts the 2025 harvest at 2.07 deer and 1.05 bucks per square mile.
What is a legal buck in WMU J2?
In 2026 a legal buck in WMU J2 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 J2?
VFWD made 2,000 muzzleloader antlerless permits available for WMU J2 in 2025 and gave out 2,000 by lottery; hunters took 325 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 J2?
135 in 2025, 83 male and 52 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.