When it comes to mastering any new skill the key to success is practice, practice and more practice. No one knows this better than the organizers of the Youth Education Challenge. A daylong event that’s been held at the Edward Kehoe Conservation Camp each spring since 2011.

Vermont’s youth deer hunting season is a lot more than passing on the skills of pursuing white tail deer. Time spent in the woods with a son or daughter create memories that will last a lifetime. We spend time on a successful youth hunt with Lawrence and his youngest son Jake.

It wasn’t that long ago that seeing a woman hunting was a rare sight. However, today females are the fastest growing demographic in the sport, and are now commonly seen in the field and hunting camps across the state. Keeping this trend alive is important to Fish and Wildlife departments across the country. But it’s also important to the women who want to share the thrills and empowerment enjoyed by the sport with their female friends and daughters. We head out fall turkey hunting with long time huntress Wendy Butler.

Like any hand eye sport, success at shooting clay targets or wing shooting requires practice and proper mechanics. Anyone who’s swung a golf club or pitched a baseball knows that the slightest change in mechanics can result in either disaster or tremendous success. Thanks to shooting instructors at Orvis, the wing shooting skills of thousands of waterfowl and upland bird hunters have been improved since 1973, when they opened their first shooting school in Manchester, Vermont.

By mid-January, many hunters and anglers in the North Country suffer from a severe case of cabin fever. However, there is a cure. For thousands of people The Yankee Sportsman’s Classic is just what the doctor ordered. For 20 years this three-day event showcases what we love about the outdoors. And brings it indoors at the Robert E. Miller Expo Center on the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds in Essex Junction.

Every November during Vermont’s youth deer hunting season, check stations across the state are filled with smiling kids and proud parents. Deer are reported, stories shared, and photos taken. But at a handful of check stations, a lot more goes on. Since 1963 the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has annually operated special biological check stations to gather the data needed to monitor the health of the deer herd. This information and other data help state biologists determine science-driven management strategies.

Nestled deep in the vast forestland of the Northeast Kingdom is a classic northwoods camp that's been a haven for hunters, anglers, and other outdoor lovers for more than a century. Located on a quiet pond a stone's throw from Canada, Quimby Country Lodge and Cottages just might also be one of the best kept secrets in Vermont. To learn more about this historic camp, we visited for an overnight stay and some upland bird hunting.

Getting high school students excited about science can be a challenge, especially if it requires staying after school. But at Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, Vermont, there’s one biology teacher who has developed a program that has students actually looking forward to staying after school. Brad Frohlof, an avid deer hunter and 30-year teacher at Otter Valley, has infused his love for the outdoors into a unique, hands-on program that introduces students to the art and science of taxidermy.

When cold December nights begin to freeze local ponds and lakes, most waterfowl hunters are packing away their guns and digging out the ice augers. But there are a few hardy souls that brave the bitter temperatures in pursuit of goldeneyes. Also known as whistlers or ice ducks, these rugged diving ducks are the often the last migratory birds found on Lake Champlain as fall gives way to winter, and they offer some of the hottest hunting of the year.