tell me about Vermont

What concealed carry laws? There are none so concealed carry and open carry is completely legal with no need for licenses or anything else. You don't have to inform officers you are armed, can carry in state parks and just about everywhere else not barred by federal law. Class 3 is all legal too. Vermont simply doesn't have hardly any firearm laws.

About the only one I know of thats not allowed is having a round or magazine in a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle. Handguns are legally allowed loaded though. This is mostly to stop people shooting at deer etc from their pickup truck windows.

Rifle ranges in Vermont. http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp?State=VT

Yeah I had not realized Vermont had gun laws lol. Vermont is called a frontier state for a reason.

what should I know about VT

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It has the highest state & local taxes out of all the 50 states. NH has the lowest, and the NH gun laws are nearly as good and getting better steadily.

Move 50 miles east.

Well if you are from Maine then you probably already know about the geographical layout of the state. Others have posted on the lack of gun laws except for the federal ones, and some minor state regulations. As you know It is a beautiful state, which still is able to its old New England charm in this modern age. To keep the old NE charm the state, and towns came up with some very strict zoning, and environmental regulations. It is a very Green state. This is a major reason you don't see many strip malls, or other large commercial buildings. The state's economy is mostly based on agricultural products and of course tourism. As stated by another poster state taxes are high, even compared to Massachusetts but it is not the most expensive state to live in the US. Actually I believe New York is the most expensive state to live, followed by Maine. I would move to Vermont in a heart beat if I could find a job that paid the same, with similar benefits to what I am doing in Mass. This seems to be a major stumbling block for many who want to move into the state. I am not interest in switching my profession to tapping trees for syrup or running ski lifts.

The people seem to come from all walks of life. You have your old New Englanders, 1960 hippy transplants, Blue bloods, French Canadians, soccer mom families, and New York City Transplants. The later group seem to be the ones that give the most trouble and are the most numerous now. The state use to have a very libertarian, individualistic streak but that is slowly changing over to a more elitist New Yorker mentality. I am not sure the rustic New Englander will last much longer with the influx of non integrating outsiders. Much the same way Maine is going with the influx of people from Boston. I have friends who hunt somewhere up in the middle of the state, and they say every year that more land is being posted as No Trespassing and Hunting.

Hah, up here in 'Tater country, they dont bother socializing us. Aint enough vote up here to be worth buying, and nothing to steal. So the politicians leave us alone...

Burlington may not be considered a part of VT by many. I almost don't consider it as such. More a part of NY IMHO. Too many NY/MA/NJ transplants with their socialist ideas. Burlington's mayor is anti-gun but he as of yet can't get away with anything because of pre-emption. Some cities, including Montpelier, Rutland, etc. tried not too many years ago (well, more like 10 years ago now) to ban carrying of firearms, but those attempts were all struck down in court or changed with the threat of lawsuits. Taxes and regulation are very high, consider that carefully. These outsiders brought this to us, hippy socialists moving in in the 60's/70's, big city transplants from socialist leaning states, etc., all want their socialist programs, regulation and taxes. There's some real tension btwn. a lot of "real" Vermonters and these people, as the real Vermonters have been taxed and regulated out of their homes and farms and so forth in a lot of cases...these outsiders have also driven up the prices of property in the process. Northern Vermont is better than the Southern part, though you may find there are some odd groups in certain areas up there, realize the KKK was very active in Northern Vermont in the 20th century (not really focused on Blacks but Catholics instead), Coolidge as president had more guards than any previous president when he visited his home as president because of that...there are some nuts still holding those views though most don't anymore so see what your neighbors are like before buying...I've run into some whackos myself...

Burlington is really growing and gobbling up rural land quickly, live elsewhere if you can and commute, though traffic can be very bad there.

Hmm. Sounds like the socialists read Molon Labe and are using those tactics against us.

It's always good to have another Maineiac here. I can't say much that hasn't been said already, just don't think of skipping out on the view tax if you can see a ski mountain from your house.

I'm all in favor of treating public office in Vermont like the Presidency. You must be BORN here to be elected.

Article 16 of the VT Constitution:

Art. 16th That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of
themselves and the State - and as standing armies in time of
peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept
up; and that the military should be kept under strict sub-
ordination to and governed by the civil power.

The rest of the VT Constitution can be found here:

http://www.harbornet.com/rights/vermont.txt

I lived in Jericho and worked in Burlington (traveling locally quite a bit) for three years. From what I gathered there were not a lot of ranges around (I didn't find any, but I wasn't looking very hard), and in particular I found no significant bullseye shooting competitions (that being just about my only shooting interest at the time).

Politically the state is schizophrenic - there are few moderates, just a lot of Greens/progressives in the cities and a lot of leave-me-alone conservatives out rural (which explains Civil Unions side-by-side with permitless concealed carry). I do prefer New Hampshire, but both states are getting seriously California anyway.

Yeah, Burlington is terrible. Like I said, not really a part of VT in my opinion...

Gun laws are good. Still plenty of opportunity for hunting and shooting.

But.... It's one of the most liberal and overtaxed states in the US. And, depending on where you live, you are likely to run into liberals of *all* types. I particularly dislike the grey-haired, overweight, female, burned-out hippie types wearing flowing, brightly-printed dresses and Birkenstocks, who don't shave anything, do their hair with garden shears, and celebrate the Solstices. If they're married, it's often to someone of the same sex. They're the ones who are usually your kids' teachers. There are many other varieties, some harder to spot than others.

Also, if you're in a tourist/upscale area, there are the rich flatlanders (who may or may not be liberal) with their demanding, pompous attitudes, and second homes, and Mercedes G-Wagens, who want all the immediate conveniences of Manhattan, but with a better view.

The REAL, long-term, multi-generational Vermonters are wonderful. The salt of the earth. Some of the nicest, toughest, friendliest folks I've ever seen.

*elevation

I've lived in Vermont almost my whole life.

What others have said is mostly true. And even more, it's accurate.

A few thoughts, or concepts:

1. Flatlanders move in, and "mold" state to their desire though money (that they made in more lucrative states) via property; and by acquiring seats on school boards, town councils, zoning boards, and, of course, the Legislature.

2. Certain left wing, earthy elements have been instrumental in shaping Vermont to be the United States' version of "Little Europe" with its quaint, bucolic farming and amazing artisan products (which, obviously, is not always a bad thing).

3. We are extremely overtaxed, especially so for a state with so little commercial tax base and poor growth opportunities in same sector.

4. The left wing, which seems to increasingly control our destiny, has a perverse and overriding desire to set examples for the rest of the country (or even world) to follow. (Won't get into details.) It's a bizarre little Napolean complex.

5. Not any real degree of cultural diversity, no matter which way you cut it.

6. Everyday quality of life is laid back, and quite special here. It's like nothing else.

7. Our greatest export is our youth.

Didnt Vermont support John Kerry?

Didnt Vermont support John Kerry?

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Maybe in the electoral vote, but He didn't get my vote.

I've been here 12 years. Agree that housing and taxes are too high. Agree that left-wing politics will get you down if you follow too closely. No carry permit required and buying is very easy. Most Rod and Gun clubs have ranges. I shoot off my back porch (i have room to do this safely). People for the most part are very friendly. It's tough to find a job making enough money to pay living expenses here.
The Green comment is an understatement!! The legislature spent most of the session on a "Climate Change" bill that the Gov. vetoed. Some common sense still exists here.

I lived in Burlington for 3 years and really disliked it (both the city and the state). It is pretty and all, but too inconvenient for me. Not enough going on up there and it was a 30-45 minute drive to get anything done, since they make all the big stores locate in Williston.

It was very expensive to live there.

As far as gun ranges, I used to go to a gentleman's property outside of the city (and it is a good drive). He has a box on the gate where donations can be left. I got the information on how to get to his property from Powderhorn, which is a local gun shop.

The other options for a range is to join the Chittenden County Fish & Game Club and go to their range in Jonesville (which is also a good drive). Both are outdoor ranges.

The Sportsman's Club of Franklin County (SCFC) is located off Route 36 in St. Albans Bay, VT.
The club is situated on 168 acres on Maquam Shore, 1/8 mile from Lake Champlain.

SCFC facilities include a clubhouse with an indoor archery and pistol range, 3 Skeet fields, 1 trap field, an outdoor archery course, and an outdoor combination rifle/pistol range with distances of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 meters.

http://www.members.aol.com/scoffc/

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/Vendors_and_Sources/Shooting_Ranges_in_Vermont.pdf