On the national scale, Vermont's counties score low. Chittenden leads Vermont's Buck Index at 31, followed by Grand Isle at 30 and Windham at 25. Rutland and Windsor share a displayed score of 22 in fourth and fifth place. Caledonia, Lamoille, Washington, Orange, Orleans and Essex share a displayed score of 12 in ninth through fourteenth place. The county order compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre on a national scale. That gives hunters a specific county comparison, while leaving permits and the actual property to be checked separately.
KEY FINDINGS
- Chittenden leads Vermont at 31. No county in the state is marked metro in this snapshot, so Chittenden is the leader outside the big metros. A big metro means a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
- Grand Isle follows at 30, and Windham is third at 25. On the national scale, Vermont's counties score low.
- Caledonia, Lamoille, Washington, Orange, Orleans and Essex display 12. Their underlying order is retained, but a rounded tie is not a measured difference in hunting opportunity.
- All 14 Vermont counties are included. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
Vermont county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 14 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chittenden | 31 |
| 2 | Grand Isle | 30 |
| 3 | Windham | 25 |
| 4 | Rutland | 22 |
| 5 | Windsor | 22 |
| 6 | Franklin | 20 |
| 7 | Bennington | 19 |
| 8 | Addison | 18 |
| 9 | Caledonia | 12 |
| 10 | Lamoille | 12 |
01County comparison
Chittenden leads, with Grand Isle and Windham next
Chittenden holds first at 31 and Grand Isle second at 30. Windham's 25 holds third place, ahead of Rutland and Windsor, which share a displayed score of 22 in fourth and fifth place. The national scoring frame matters: Chittenden's 31 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison.
The denominator is estimated bow-huntable acreage. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is concentrated relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
Franklin, Bennington and Addison form the middle band
Franklin ranks sixth at 20 and Bennington seventh at 19. Addison is eighth at 18, one point below Bennington. Choosing a county because it appears in a top ten list would exaggerate that kind of small gap.
Chittenden in first through Addison in eighth cover a displayed range from 31 to 18. Caledonia through Essex hold ninth through fourteenth place, and all six share a displayed score of 12. The full table is more useful than a short winners list when an actual property becomes available outside the first few counties.
03County comparison
Windham, Franklin and Essex do not land in the same band
Windham ranks third at 25. Franklin is sixth at 20 and Bennington seventh at 19, while Essex sits fourteenth at 12 along with five other counties. These comparisons show why a broad regional impression can be too coarse for the county question.
Chittenden's 31 is above Franklin's 20 and Essex's 12 under this measure. That is a documented difference in county history after the acreage adjustment. The score alone does not establish what causes that difference.
04County comparison
Keep the county, the regulations and the property together
The state wildlife agency's deer hunting information supplies the agency context for the deer hunt. This report does not allocate harvest totals to counties. Before a county becomes a trip, check the current regulations and any permit conditions for the exact ground being considered.
The state's where-to-hunt resources provide the next step after a county is chosen. Start with a county you can actually hunt, then compare the substitutes that fit the same trip. A move from Caledonia to Essex changes the rank number while leaving the displayed Buck Index at 12. Access may make that decision long before the index does.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window. Scores use estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling. They are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The public display ranges from 0 to 100, with no interpretation as harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
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