Fall turkey hunt

starts in Vermont

WATERBURY — Vermont’s fall turkey hunting season is under way. The shotgun and archery seasons opened Saturday.

Last year, hunters took 476 turkeys in 147 Vermont towns during fall seasons.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials say that’s lower than previous years because of an abundance of fall seeds and nuts last year that made turkeys hard to find.

This year, there are fewer fall nuts so turkeys are visible feeding in fields on vegetation and insects.

Vermont’s wild turkey population is estimated to be slightly less than 50,000 birds.