Hunting
As long as people have lived in this area, they have hunted game in what is now Fairlee Forest. Except for the century and a half when we denuded the hills with unfettered logging and sheep grazing, wildlife abounded. As forests grew back and wildlife was able to return, we ‘predatory’ humans kept competing predator species like wolves and mountain lions out, or had exterminated them so successfully that they could not recover. As a result, humans unwittingly assumed the responsibility for keeping nature in balance — for killing only enough deer and other game for food or sport to keep those populations from overwhelming their food sources, succumbing to diseases, or changing the forest ecosystem in ways that could impact other plant and animal communities. Until recently, this has worked quite well. Agencies like Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and organizations like the Vermont Natural Resources Council, as well as a number of hunting organizations, provide research services, guidelines, and regulations that help responsible hunters manage game sustainably both for the game and the ecosystem. Several Vermont organizations, like the Quality Deer Management Association actively work to recruit and train new and younger hunters in order to keep the ratio of predator to prey in balance.
As the hunting community ages or has less time to spend in the woods, some sportspersons and environmentalists are concerned that the population of white-tailed deer in parts of the state — Fairlee among them — is becoming too large and are pressing for changes in quotas. For example, in spite of the number of both local and outside hunters who flock to Fairlee Forest in the fall, our herds may already be causing declines in desirable native plants like trillium and pink lady slipper, but also in potentially valuable oak and sugar maple saplings. Except in northern and western parts of the forest, it is difficult even to find trilliums, which are normally active colonizers. This may be a result of soil conditions rather than predation, but it would be worth studying the prevalence of these plants in Fairlee Forest, and if they appear to be declining, take steps to protect remnant specimens from browsing deer.
Non-hunting forest visitors should be aware not only of the various hunting season dates but the fact that hunting for non-restricted species may occur year-round in Fairlee Forest, as does target practice. While most hunters are well-trained and responsible, and there has apparently never been a mishap here, visitors should always take precautions while in the woods by wearing bright colors and avoiding areas where guns are being fired. For their safety, dogs should sport a bright bandana or vest and be kept on leash or under voice command.
Trapping is also legal in Fairlee Forest and in several local Wildlife Management Areas. Vermont Trappers organization has a branch in West Fairlee.
For 2015 Vermont hunting and trapping regulations please visit www.eregulations.com/Vermont.