Good luck out there! I have fond memories of my first youth weekend trip.

Check VT Fish and Game to confirm where you can and cannot hunt. I am not a hunter but understand that unless it’s posted no hunting, or has no trespassing signs you can hunt private land without permission.

This is true, but I will say that if you are going to hunt on or around (it can be easy to wander) private land, it is considered the polite thing to go and find the owner to introduce yourself/party and ask for permission first, then state where and when you will be there; this works to everyone's advantage and reduces headaches or stressful situations. Plus, you might even get a tip on places that are good on the property from a safety and success standpoint. I speak as someone who sometimes is a hunter and is an owner of some open land. Trust me, we don't bite!

This is good advice.

Definitely, but hasn’t happened like that in my experience. My family has had a big lot with a cabin for 40+ years and have had only one guy track us down to ask to set some traps. Otherwise we’ve had guys shoot turkeys from the porch and when we weren’t there, leave gut piles in the back 40, and show up on game cameras very close to the house. Had someone set a tree stand you could see the house from as well.

As a farmer and livestock owner (with LGDs), thank you! For the most part, we welcome hunters on our land, but since we are still out working stock, cutting next year's wood, etc. we like to know who's out there and where they're at and to let them know where we/our animals are.

That's obnoxious

That’s pretty terrible, and I’m sad to hear that situation for you. There are definitely people out there that will abuse privileges.

I was taught to respect the land, the privileges of using it, and the people/animals on it. I have been generally shown that level of respect in turn. So let’s continue to pass that along.

We always assumed it was the same small group of bad actors. It’s off the beaten path so not a lot of people would think to hunt there and the house and fields aren’t visible from the road. Especially in the 80s and 90s we had some break ins we are sure are connected. Beer thefts and turkey season coincided.

About 10 years ago the trapper called and he offered to police things in exchange for trapping. He figured out who dumped gut piles and got them to clean it up, and spread the word to avoid the house. He’s great. Though we still catch guys on game cameras in places where they can for sure see the house which still seems a little intrusive to us.

I have lived in vt my whole life and hunted since I was nine there alot of private land owners that will give your permission to hunt if not alot of ski areas will allow hunting befor the ski season or you can also check the green mountain Nation forest maps