Vermont wildlife officials tell House committee hunting and fishing boost food security; department outlines expanded seasons and deer‑management steps

Commissioner Jason Batchelder told the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry on Jan. 17 that Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s regulated hunting, fishing and outreach programs provide a measurable contribution to food security and informal food distribution across the state.

"We're here to talk today a little bit about cost avoidance and food security that we feel is provided by the department," Batchelder said, opening a presentation titled "Nutritional Significance of Wildlife Conservation of Vermont." He emphasized the department’s constitutional mandate, citing "Article 2, chapter 67" to frame wildlife as a public trust.

Batchelder and staff presented participation and harvest figures they said support that claim. He cited roughly 1 in 6 Vermonters holding a hunting or fishing license and gave specific figures for harvest and stocking: the department supplies about 190,000 pounds of trout, salmon and walleye annually through stocking; the agency reported 54 moose harvested in 2024 (about 300 pounds each on average), roughly 800,000 pounds of venison-equivalent from deer harvests, and 908 bears…