Vermont Senators have added severe restrictions on bear hunting to unrelated legislation that will be heard on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 9 a.m. and Friday, Feb. 28, at 9 a.m. in Room 8 of the Vermont State Capitol. The bill also includes the creation of a separate governing panel to recommend wildlife policy changes prioritizing the needs of people who do not hunt, fish or trap.
Take Action Now! Vermont sportsmen should call the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms at (802) 828-2228 and ask them to deliver this message to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy:
“I urge you to remove sections 15-18 (Wildlife Governance and Bear Hunting) in S.321. This new language is bad for wildlife, unfairly attacks Vermont hunters, and will harm wildlife conservation and all people who value wildlife resources.”
In addition, before Thursday, Vermont sportsmen should send an email to the five Senators on the Natural Resources Committee, listed below, asking them to remove sections 15-18 (Wildlife Governance and Bear Hunting) and any other attack on Vermont sportsmen. Be sure to include your town of residence to the senators on the committee:
[email protected] (Addison)
[email protected] (Bennington)
[email protected] (Franklin)
[email protected] (Essex / Orleans)
[email protected] (Orange)
Senate Bill 321 makes bear hunting with hounds impossible. The bill would ban a person from hunting bears for five years if they lose sight of a dog, allow a hunting dog to get beyond 528 feet away or allows one or more of their dogs on a property where they do not have prior written permission. Second time offenders would lose their bear hunting rights for life, an unprecedented penalty for minor offenses in Vermont wildlife law. The bill also reduces the dog-training season to just two weeks and moves those two weeks into what is now bear hunting season. Senate Bill 321 would simply make it impossible to lawfully hunt black bears.
In addition, SB 321 would create the Vermont Working Group on Wildlife Governance to recommend changes in wildlife policy to the state legislature. The working group would review current wildlife policy and expenditures to ensure they meet the needs of Vermont citizens who value wildlife, but do not hunt, fish or trap.
Senate Bill 321 is an attack on hunting with dogs. The restrictions on bear hunting could easily be applied to all dog hunting, field trials or fox hunting at a later date. The requirements in the bill make it impossible for any hound hunter to comply with and still successfully hunt bears. It’s simply a de facto ban on bear hunting.
The creation of the Working Group on Wildlife Governance is the first shot to remove the influence of sportsmen from wildlife decision making, even though Vermont hunters, anglers and trapper fund the majority of all wildlife conservation in the state.
Senate Bill 321 is an attack on all sportsmen and must be defeated.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.