Partridge, woodcock seasons open in VT

A quiet walk down a wooded road, bright fall foliage coloring the canopy overhead and the crisp, cool air of an early morning -- these are just some of the elements of a great Vermont upland gamebird hunting experience. Hoping to see the dramatic flush of a grouse or woodcock is, of course, another reason hunters try to get out into Vermont woodlands in the fall.

Vermont’s hunting season for ruffed grouse, or partridge, runs through Thursday, December 31. The daily limit is four grouse with a possession limit of eight. The Vermont woodcock hunting season runs through Monday, November 9. The daily limit is three woodcock with a possession limit of nine.

Woodcock are often found in alders along brooks and near beaver ponds as well as in new-growth small timber where old fields are reverting to forest or recent timber harvests have occurred. Ruffed grouse also frequent the same habitat, and are particularly fond of the apples that can be found under wild apple trees.

All migratory game bird (woodcock, common snipe, ducks, and geese) hunters must also be registered with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) in each state. Hunters can register on Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website or call (877) 306-7091. After providing some basic information, a hunter will receive their annual HIP registration number, which is then recorded on the hunting license.

For more information on hunting in Vermont, get a copy of the 2026 Hunting & Trapping Guide at www.eregulations.com/vermont/hunting, and the Syllabus of State and Federal Hunting Regulations for Migratory Game Birds, available free from license agents statewide and from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.