Hunting Guidelines at Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Updated: May 17

Welcome, hunters! We're pleased to share our beautiful 3,500-acre landscape with responsible sportspeople who appreciate Vermont's hunting traditions and natural resources.

Our Hunting Philosophy

At Merck Forest, we value the role ethical hunting plays in wildlife management and conservation. Approximately 75% of our property is open for hunting, with the remaining area designated as a Hunting Safety Zone to ensure everyone's enjoyment of the land.

Guidelines for a Positive Experience

To help ensure that all visitors—hunters and non-hunters alike—have a safe and enjoyable experience, we kindly ask that you:

Know the boundaries of our Hunting Safety Zone (highlighted in yellow on the map). Please hunt only outside this designated area.
Wear blaze orange during November's rifle season—this applies to everyone visiting during this time for mutual safety and visibility.
Register your hunting stands at the Visitor Center. For the health of our trees, please avoid permanently attaching equipment (no nails, screws, or bolts).
Label your equipment clearly with your name, address, and phone number (this includes game cameras and stands).
Leave no trace of your visit—including spent casings, flagging tape, and other markers. We appreciate your help in keeping our forest pristine!
Use lead-free shotgun loads to protect wildlife and water quality.
Park only in designated areas at the South Gate or Visitor Center.

We greatly appreciate your cooperation with Vermont Hunting Laws and our additional guidelines. For the safety of our many four-legged visitors, we do not permit trapping on the property, and target shooting is not allowed.

For Vermont hunting season dates, visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.

Questions? We're Here to Help!

If you have any questions about hunting at Merck Forest, please contact the Visitor Center at 802-394-7836, ext 0. We're happy to help make your hunting experience enjoyable and successful.

Finding the South Gate Entrance

Follow these simple directions to access our South Gate hunting area:

From the MFFC Visitor Center, turn left (west) onto Route 315
After 5 miles, turn left onto East Road (becomes Kent Hollow Road)
Go one mile, staying left at the Sandgate Road fork
After another mile, turn left onto Hidden Valley Road just before a bridge (look for the worn "Kent Hollow Rd →" sign)
Travel 1.2 miles to the gate and park in the designated area on the right

Thank you for helping us maintain Merck Forest as a special place for all visitors. Happy hunting!