Bear Tag Seperation opposition...
 

Good luck getting a regulation recinded after it has passed. Public comment is just that, comments and there is no assurance what you do not want to happen will not happen. Asking for public comment is a normal proceedure in the regulation process required by law, and is not a mandate to your directors to go with the majority of comments, and I have seen many times what the public comment produced was counter to good wildlife managenent and the Directors, (Commissioners in my state) passed the measure even if oposed by sportsmen. You have to remember, more hunters do not comment at all than do comment, so public comment only produces responses from those hunters who are involved or have a vested interest such as not wanting to pay more to hunt, which unfortunately sooner or later will become necessary. Good luck in your endeavor but I was involved in the regulation making process in my state for 3 decades and I suspect you are fighting a battle you have already lost. Just catching up with most of the other states, our free bear tag went by the boards a long time ago.

Signed it several days ago Alex G. There is never any harm in trying. Hope all who are not part of the Bear Hunters Association that pushed this increase and seperation do not buy the license. In about 5 years the VDGIF will realize the mistake it is.

I knew it!!! I sent an email to DGIF, our house rep Tony Wilt asking for the results of this second public opinion poll. No response...so I sent an email to the local TV station WHSV an asked them to look into it on facebook. Again no response...

By the way Mr. Wilt is a member of the bear association I do believe or he was. He also introduced this same bear license legislation twice in the general assembly an was voted down both times.

I don't hunt bear, but this whole thing of pushing this on us hunters is political crap!! I won't buy the license either!!

I am curious, what was the reasoning for the separation and the requirement of the tag. Last I looked into the black bears stock status there was an indication of a 40% decline in the most productive areas. From a management perspective a 40% decline is not a good indication of the bears status and will require more restrictive measures being implemented. Choices for the measure should have been proposed but seeing how the choice was already made, it would be extremely difficult to change it now.

Yep, Salty, if the change was because of a drop in population, the best way to address it would be by reducing the number of hunters by reducing the number of licenses sold. That is how it happened in PA. when the separate bear license first came on the scene, there was a limited number sold. That number increased and eventually the number of licenses was unlimited again. The money for the bear license while not earmarked specifically for bear research and management but it did defray the cost. Of course the reason for the license is speculation for our conversation because the OP didn't give the reason their Directors gave for the move. If it was because a drop in population, there is only two ways to reduce harvest, limit the numbers of days of a season or limit the number of license available. It would be interesting to know the for the change. Funny thing in PA, before the special license there was only a relatively small hardcore group of bear hunters in PA because bear hunting in PA is a lot of work. After the separate license came on the scene, the number of bear hunters increased and we have more bears in our state than you can shake a stick at. Last year the bear harvest was 33 hundred and change, 41 over 500 lbs and 3 over 600 lbs. The highest ever was 2011 of 43 hundred and change.

I'm not sure the bear population is down here. I'm in Rockingham Co. were the bear kill has lead the state for years. I often here a lot of folks commenting on seeing bears, but they are also on the move this time of year. My MIL has one eating her apples off the tree in her backyard!!

IMO the bear dog "training" season is a big problem! The deer population is way down on public land/national forest. I believe due to bear dogs chasing deer. I have seen it many times while hunting, but most dog owners will tell you their dogs don't chase deer. BS!!
Now DGIF is expanding the areas for this "training" season.

Wonder how many DGIF directors belong to the bear association or have benefited from it?? It's political.....

It sounds like a bunch of crybabies that just don't want to pay for a license that was an extra bonus until this change. If the license numbers aren't restricted and I don't believe that was in this change, then I don't see how this is a big deal other than paying more money that some don't want to pay. In this day and age you have to pay to play and if there isn't enough money coming in to manage a resource then the resource suffers. It sounds to me like a lot of people are just ticked because they no longer are getting a "freebie"!

The state is chasing $$$. VA is notorious for chasing $$$. Glad I'm no longer there!

NC went to bear tags recently as well, but those of us who have lifetime licenses can apply for a tag every year free of charge. Anyone else will have to pay for an annual bear tag. You guys are close but not the same, we have seen here on base a certain number of bears can be taking. Most of the bears are killed in car accidents due to the season coinciding with the time change so more drivers are out at dark when they are moving. Last two years only two bears where harvested the rest where killed in a vehicle collision and shut the season down for us. I mention this as sometimes there are more to stock research then hunting statistics and most biologists take into consideration mortality rates from various sources to assess the current condition of a species.