4VAC15-50-120. Game: Bear. Bear hound training season.
Summary
The recommendation is to amend the opening day of the bear hound training season established in subsection E from the first Monday in December to the Monday nearest December 2.
Proposed Language
Note: In the “Proposed Language” document, underlined text denotes proposed new language, while text with a strikethrough denotes language that is proposed to be deleted.
Rationale
This recommendation corrects a staff oversight and aligns the regulation language with the Board’s intention during the 2025-2026 regulation review and amendment process. During that regulation review and amendment process, the bear firearms season was reduced by 25 days within 24 northwestern counties to address bear population declines resulting from the impacts of mange, high female harvest levels, and other factors. On 18 of the 25 days removed from the bear firearms season, hounds could be used to hunt bear in 23 of these counties. To continue providing as much recreational opportunity as possible during the reduced firearms season in these 23 counties and without impacting bear populations, the Board of Wildlife Resources adopted regulation amendments intended to enable hunters to continue to chase bears with hounds, without harvesting them, on the 18 days that had been removed from the bear firearms season. Although the language of the regulation amendment adopted by the Board of Wildlife Resources would provide 18 days of bear hound training opportunity during some years (e.g., this past season), it would provide less than the intended number of days during other years (e.g., the upcoming 2026-2027 hunting season).