Originally Posted by
VAhuntr
Thanks for the link. I had not seen this proposal. If you read VA code 29.1-305, the board already has the authority to separate the bear tag from the big game license. They studied adding a separate bear tag last year but did not. HB338 would give the Board the authority to separate deer and turkey as well. If you read VA Code 29.1-102 it explains who comprises the Board of Game & Inland Fisheries and what their role is.
If you go to the following link it tells just a little about what happened. You have to scroll down near the end of the article but it seems dog runners were behind this.
www.roanoke.com/outdoors/wb/285370
I am quite sure the legislation to have a seperate tag for bear failed last year as it should have. Don't think it has been submitted again.
Originally Posted by
VAhuntr
I'm not sure why either but here is my guess.....greed! They do not want the average deer hunter killing a bear. My guess is a lot of bear are killed by hunters while deer hunting when a bear happened to come by their stand. Their reasoning is the average hunter who deer hunts, won't spend the extra bucks on a bear tag when they hardly ever see one. By doing this it leaves more bear for them. Just my hypothesis.
You are spot on with your reasoning. The bear guys went on record saying they were tired of deer hunters killing their bears just because the opportunity presented itself.