Vermont Hunting Laws
Vermont sets no minimum caliber for deer rifles or handguns — a handgun is legal anywhere a rifle is — but caps autoloading rifles at a 6-round magazine (with a carve-out for .22 rimfire autoloaders) and bans laser sights. Suppressors are explicitly legal for hunting, and hunter orange, unusually, is not required by law.
Every rule below cites the official regulation. Last verified August 30, 2026.
At a glance
Check a cartridge in Vermont
Sourced rules
Every row cites the controlling regulation and the date we verified it.
All weapons
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| All species |
Laser sights are illegal for hunting in Vermont. Casting an artificial light to spot, locate, or take wildlife is also prohibited (with a narrow treed-raccoon exception).
"Laser sights are illegal for hunting." |
Lights/Laser Sights | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
Suppressors are legal to possess, carry, and use while taking game in Vermont.
"A person taking game with a gun may possess, carry, or use a gun suppressor in the act of taking game." |
Machine Guns and Autoloading Rifles and Suppressors | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
Vermont is one of the few states with no legal hunter-orange requirement — VFWD recommends but does not mandate wearing at least a fluorescent orange hat and vest.
"Hunter orange is not required by law in Vermont but wearing it might save your life." |
Fluorescent Orange | Aug 2026 |
Handgun
1 rule| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
A handgun may be used for deer anywhere a rifle is legal — no separate caliber requirement is stated. Archery-license holders may also carry (but not shoot game with) a handgun while bowhunting.
"Wherever a rifle may be used in hunting, a handgun is permitted." |
Handguns | Aug 2026 |
Muzzleloader
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Muzzleloading rifles and pistols must have a minimum bore diameter of .43 caliber.
"must have a minimum bore diameter of 0.43 inches" |
§ 37, Definition of Muzzleloader Firearm (citing 10 V.S.A. § 4001(33)) | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Any traditional or modern ignition style is allowed — flintlock, caplock, matchlock, in-line, or wheellock — as long as the muzzleloader is a single-shot, single-barrel firearm loaded from the muzzle (not the breech, without tools).
"an ignition system of traditional or modern flintlock, caplock, matchlock, in-line or wheellock style" |
§ 37, Definition of Muzzleloader Firearm | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Muzzleloading rifles/smoothbores need at least a 20-inch barrel; muzzleloading pistols need at least a 10-inch barrel. Only one muzzleloading firearm may be carried while hunting deer during the muzzleloader seasons, and no bow/crossbow may be carried alongside it.
"a single-shot, single-barrel rifle or smoothbore firearm with a minimum barrel length of 20 inches ... or a single-shot pistol with a minimum barrel length of 10 inches" |
§ 37, Definition of Muzzleloader Firearm | Aug 2026 |
Rifle
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Vermont sets no minimum caliber for deer rifles. Unlike most states, there is no stated centerfire requirement, and the magazine-capacity rule explicitly carves out '.22 caliber rifle using rimfire cartridges' rather than banning rimfire outright.
"A rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun, bow and arrow, or crossbow may be used during this season." |
Regular Season — Methods | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Autoloading (semi-automatic) centerfire rifles are capped at a 6-cartridge magazine capacity while hunting. Autoloading .22 rimfire rifles are explicitly exempt from this cap. Fully automatic firearms (machine guns) are prohibited outright.
"It is illegal while hunting in Vermont to use, carry, or have in your possession a machine gun of any kind or description or an autoloading rifle with a magazine capacity of over 6 cartridges, except a .22 caliber rif..." |
Machine Guns and Autoloading Rifles and Suppressors | Aug 2026 |
| Wild Turkey |
Rifles may not be used or even carried while turkey hunting. Only shotguns, bow and arrow, or crossbow are legal methods of take.
"Rifles shall not be used or carried by any person while hunting turkeys." |
Legal Methods of Taking | Aug 2026 |
Shotgun
1 rule| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Turkey |
Turkey shot must be No. 2 or smaller (finer) — shot larger than No. 2 may not be used or even possessed while turkey hunting.
"Only number 2 and smaller shot shall be used or possessed" |
Legal Methods of Taking | Aug 2026 |
Federal rules that apply in every state
These federal requirements apply in Vermont on top of state law.
Sources
Sources & methodology
Rules on this page are verified against state statutes, administrative code, official agency regulation digests, and federal regulations — never forums, retailer blogs, or hunter-ed course summaries. Rules we could not yet pin to a primary source are labeled needs review and never produce a green "legal" answer. Cartridge energy figures used by the checker are typical factory-load values; where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, verify your specific load's manufacturer rating.
Legal disclaimer — please read
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Hunting regulations change every season, vary by zone, season, land type, and county ordinance, and are interpreted by the state's enforcement officers — not by this page.
- Confirm every rule in the current official Vermont hunting regulations before your hunt.
- Check season dates, license and tag requirements, zone boundaries, and local ordinances — this page covers equipment rules only.
- When in doubt, contact Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department directly.
The controlling document is the regulation, not this page. We disclaim all liability for reliance on it.