Vermont's bear hunting season opens Sept. 1 and runs through November 16
WATERBURY, Vt. — Vermont's bear hunting season opens next month.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department officials say the state's black bear population has grown over the last two years and is now estimated to be slightly more than 6,000. Officials say that's above the objective of 4,500-6,000 bears listed in Vermont's Big Game Management Plan for 2010-2020.
Twenty-five years ago Vermont had fewer than 3,000 bears, mostly in the mountains and Northeastern part of the state.
Wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond says changes in hunting regulations have expanded the population.
He says there are more cases of bears doing damage when they are attracted to bird feeders, pet food left outside, garbage cans, barbecues, livestock and field corn.
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READSBORO, Vermont --With bear season starting Sept. 1, hunters are asked to avoid shooting bears inthe Readsboro/Searsburg area that have been fitted with collars.
Wind power study
The collars are part of a seven-year study on the movements of black bears, said Biologist Forrest Hammond of the Fish and Wildlife Department. Hammond, who leads thestate's bear project, said the study is being paid for by Iberdrolla Renewables as a requirement for a wind power project the company is proposing.
Hammond said this is the first study in the country involving black bears and wind power.
During the 1990s, black bear studies were done with the Stratton Mountain ski area, and data was used to create development plans for other ski resorts across Vermont.
He said the plan is to put collars on six bears sometime in September. Each collar collects and stores Global Positioning System data and is also fittedwith a VHF emitter, allowing the bears to be located with radio antennas.
Come March,Hammond said, the VHF signals will be used to find the bears in their dens so the positioning data on the collars can be downloaded. The collars will then goback on, and the process will be repeated, provided the bear isn't killed.
Hammond said the collars will make the bear's neck look "lumpier" and may be fitted with an orange tag, but may not be visible for hunters to notice befores shooting.
Twenty-five years ago Vermont had fewer than 3,000 bears, mostly in the mountains and Northeastern part of the state.
Wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond says changes in hunting regulations have expanded the population.
He says there are more cases of bears doing damage when they are attracted to bird feeders, pet food left outside, garbage cans, barbecues, livestock and field corn.
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READSBORO, Vermont --With bear season starting Sept. 1, hunters are asked to avoid shooting bears inthe Readsboro/Searsburg area that have been fitted with collars.
Wind power study
The collars are part of a seven-year study on the movements of black bears, said Biologist Forrest Hammond of the Fish and Wildlife Department. Hammond, who leads thestate's bear project, said the study is being paid for by Iberdrolla Renewables as a requirement for a wind power project the company is proposing.
Hammond said this is the first study in the country involving black bears and wind power.
During the 1990s, black bear studies were done with the Stratton Mountain ski area, and data was used to create development plans for other ski resorts across Vermont.
He said the plan is to put collars on six bears sometime in September. Each collar collects and stores Global Positioning System data and is also fittedwith a VHF emitter, allowing the bears to be located with radio antennas.
Come March,Hammond said, the VHF signals will be used to find the bears in their dens so the positioning data on the collars can be downloaded. The collars will then goback on, and the process will be repeated, provided the bear isn't killed.
Hammond said the collars will make the bear's neck look "lumpier" and may be fitted with an orange tag, but may not be visible for hunters to notice befores shooting.
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