Title of Regulation: 4VAC15-50. Game: Bear (amending 4VAC15-50-10, 4VAC15-50-20, 4VAC15-50-70, 4VAC15-50-71, 4VAC15-50-110, 4VAC15-50-120; adding 4VAC15-50-21, 4VAC15-50-22).

Statutory Authority: §§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: August 1, 2009.

Agency Contact: Phil Smith, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 4016 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230, telephone (804) 367-8341 or email phil.smith@dgif.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments adjust the time periods of the bear hunting general firearms season, in multiple localities; adjust the time periods of the bear hunting muzzleloading firearms seasons, in multiple localities; add two weeks to the statewide bear archery season so that it is concurrent with the early deer archery season; allow for bear hunters with a muzzleloading firearms hunting license to possess a muzzleloading gun when and where the special archery bear season overlaps the early special muzzleloading bear season; adjust the bear hunting seasons’ limits on the numbers of bear that may be taken, in multiple localities; prohibit the use of dogs for bear hunting in certain areas; remove the second week from the hound training season in certain counties; and define weapons possession.

Changes from the proposed include that the board had proposed to establish a bear hunting license, separating the bear hunting privilege off from the existing bear-deer-turkey hunting license. In 4VAC15-50 this would have required two minor wording changes in 4VAC15-50-81; the board chose to not establish the proposed license, and therefore the language change in 4VAC15-50-81 was not needed and was not adopted.

4VAC15-50-10. Open season; generally.

Except as otherwise provided by local legislation and with the specific exceptions provided in the sections appearing in this chapter, it shall be lawful to hunt bear from the fourth Monday in November through the first Saturday in January, both dates inclusive, except in the counties of Accomack, Amelia, Appomattox, Arlington, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, and Sussex, Westmoreland, and York; and in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk.

4VAC15-50-20. Open season; first Monday in December and for 11 consecutive hunting days following in certain counties or portions of counties and on the Clinch Mountain and Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Areas and on Department of Forestry lands in Washington and Russell counties.

It shall be lawful to hunt bear from the first Monday in December and for 11 consecutive hunting days following, both dates inclusive, on the Clinch Mountain and Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Areas, on Department of Forestry lands in Washington and Russell counties, and in the counties of Buchanan, Campbell (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson, Henry, Lee, Montgomery (south of Interstate 81), Patrick, Pittsylvania (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Pulaski (south of Interstate 81), Roanoke (south of Interstate 81), Russell, Scott, Smyth (south of Interstate 81), Tazewell (that part north of Route 19 that is west of Route 16), Washington (south of Interstate 81 and that part north of Interstate 81 that is west of Route 19), Wise, and Wythe (south of Interstate 81)

4VAC15-50-21. Open season; second Monday in December and for five consecutive hunting days following in certain counties or portions of counties.

It shall be lawful to hunt bear from the second Monday in December and for five consecutive hunting days following in the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell (east of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Charlotte, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Halifax, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania (east of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Prince Edward, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex.

4VAC15-50-22. Open season; Saturday prior to the fourth Monday in November through the first Saturday in January, both dates inclusive, in certain counties or portions of counties.

It shall be lawful to hunt bear from the Saturday prior to the fourth Monday in November through the first Saturday in January, both dates inclusive, in the counties of Alleghany, Augusta (west of Interstate 81), Bath, Botetourt (west of Interstate 81), Highland, Roanoke (north of Interstate 81), Rockbridge (west of Interstate 81), Rockingham (west of Interstate 81), and Shenandoah (west of Interstate 81).

4VAC15-50-70. Bow and arrow hunting.

A. It shall be lawful to hunt bear during the special archery season with bow and arrow from the second first Saturday in October through the Saturday Friday prior to the second third Monday in November, both dates inclusive.

B. It shall be unlawful to carry firearms while hunting with bow and arrow during the special archery seasons, except that a muzzleloading gun, as defined in 4VAC15-50-71, may be in the possession of a properly licensed muzzleloading gun hunter when and where the early special archery bear season overlaps the early special muzzleloading bear season.

C. Arrows used for hunting big game must have a minimum width head of 7/8 of an inch and the bow used for such hunting must be capable of casting a broadhead arrow a minimum of 125 yards.

D. It shall be unlawful to use dogs when hunting with bow and arrow from the second Saturday in October through the Saturday prior to the second Monday in November, both dates inclusive.

E. It shall be lawful for persons with permanent physical disabilities, who are in full compliance with the requirements of 4VAC15-40-20 B, to hunt bear subject to the provisions of subsections A through D of this section. For the purpose of the application of subsections A through D to this subsection the phrase "bow and arrow" includes crossbow.

4VAC15-50-71. Muzzleloading gun hunting.

A. It Except as otherwise provided by specific exceptions in this chapter, it shall be lawful to hunt bear during the special muzzleloading season with muzzleloading guns from the Tuesday Saturday prior to the third second Monday in November and for three consecutive hunting days following, through the Friday prior to the third Monday in November, both dates inclusive, except in Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta (west of Interstate 81 and that part east of Interstate 81 that is south of Interstate 64), Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Campbell (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Nelson, Patrick, Pittsylvania (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Pulaski, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham (west of Interstate 81), Russell, Scott, Shenandoah (west of Interstate 81), Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties and in the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.

B. It shall be lawful to hunt bear during the special muzzleloading season with muzzleloading guns from the Saturday prior to the first Monday in November through the Friday prior to the third Monday in November, both dates inclusive, in the counties (including the cities and towns within) of Accomack, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Culpeper, Essex, Fauquier, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Orange, Powhatan, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Mathews, Middlesex, Westmoreland, and York and in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth.

B. C. It shall be unlawful to hunt bear with dogs during any special season for hunting with muzzleloading guns.

C. D. A muzzleloading gun, for the purpose of this section, means a single shot weapon, excluding muzzleloading pistols, .45 caliber or larger, firing a single projectile or sabot (with a .38 caliber or larger projectile) of the same caliber loaded from the muzzle of the weapon and propelled by at least 50 grains of black powder (or black powder equivalent or smokeless powder).

D. E. It shall be unlawful to have in immediate possession any firearm other than a muzzleloading gun while hunting with a muzzleloading gun in a special muzzleloading season.

4VAC15-50-81. Validating tags and checking bear by licensee or permittee.

A. Any person killing a bear shall, before removing the carcass from the place of kill, validate an appropriate tag on their special license for hunting bear [ , deer, and turkey ] or special permit by completely removing the designated notch area from the tag. Place of kill shall be defined as the location where the animal is first reduced to possession. It shall be unlawful for any person to validate (notch) a bear tag from any special license for hunting bear [ , deer, and turkey ] or special permit prior to the killing of a bear. A bear tag that is mistakenly validated (notched) prior to the killing of a bear must be immediately voided by the licensee or permittee by writing, in ink, the word "VOID" on the line provided on the license tag.

B. Upon killing a bear and validating (notching) a license tag or special permit, as provided above, the licensee shall, upon vehicle transport of the carcass or at the conclusion of legal hunting hours, whichever occurs first, and without unnecessary delay, present the carcass and validated (notched) license tag or special permit to an authorized bear checking station or to an appropriate representative of the department in the county or adjoining county in which the bear was killed. Upon presentation of the carcass and validated (notched) license tag or special permit to the bear checking station, the licensee shall surrender or allow to be removed one premolar tooth from the carcass. At such time, the person checking the carcass will be given a game check card. The successful hunter shall then immediately record the game check card number, in ink, on the line provided adjacent to the license tag that was validated (notched) in the field. The game check card must be kept in possession with the carcass until the carcass is processed. If the carcass is left unattended, the game check card must be securely attached to the carcass.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to destroy the identity (sex) of any bear killed unless and until the license tag or special permit is validated (notched) and checked as required by this section. Successful bear hunters are allowed to dismember the carcass to pack it out from the place of kill, after an appropriate license tag has been validated (notched) as required above, as long as the sex of the animal remains identifiable and all the parts of the carcass are present when the bear is checked at an authorized bear checking station. Any bear found in the possession of any person without a validated (notched) license tag or documentation that the bear has been checked at an authorized bear checking station as required by this section shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth to be disposed of as provided by law.

4VAC15-50-110. Use of dogs in hunting bear.

A. It shall be unlawful to use dogs for the hunting of bear during the open season for hunting deer in the counties west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and in the counties of Amherst (west of U.S. Route 29), Bedford, and Nelson (west of Route 151); and within the boundaries of the national forests.

B. It shall be unlawful to use dogs for the hunting of bear during the first 12 hunting days of the open season for hunting deer in the counties of Greene and Madison.

C. It shall be unlawful to use dogs for the hunting of bear in the counties of Campbell (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Carroll (east of the New River), Fairfax, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson (east of the New River), Henry, Loudoun, Montgomery (south of Interstate 81), Patrick, Pittsylvania (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Pulaski (south of Interstate 81), and Roanoke (south of Interstate 81), Wythe (southeast of the New River or that part bounded by Route 21 on the west, Interstate 81 on the north, the county line on the east, the New River on the southeast and Cripple Creek on the south); in the city of Lynchburg; and on Amelia, Chester F. Phelps, G. Richard Thompson, and Pettigrew wildlife management areas.

4VAC15-50-120. Bear hound training season.

A. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the sections appearing in this chapter, it shall be lawful to chase black bear with dogs, without capturing or taking, in all counties and cities or in the portions in which bear hunting is permitted except in the counties of Accomack, Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Isle of Wight, James City, King & Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery (south of Interstate 81), New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski (south of Interstate 81), Richmond, Roanoke (south of a continuous line formed by Route 785, Route 311 and Route 779), Roanoke (south of a continuous line formed by Route 785, Route 311 and Route 779) (south of Interstate 81), Smyth (south of Interstate 81), Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Washington (south of Interstate 81), Westmoreland, Wythe (south of Interstate 81), and York, and in the cities of Hampton, Newport News and Norfolk, from the second Saturday in August through the last Saturday in September. It shall be unlawful to have in immediate possession a firearm, bow or any weapon or device capable of taking a black bear while participating in the bear hound training season.

B. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the sections appearing in this chapter, it It shall be lawful to chase black bear with dogs, without capturing or taking, in the counties of Brunswick, Greensville, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg from the first Monday in December and for 11 five consecutive hunting days following, both dates inclusive, except bear dog training will be unlawful on Sunday in these counties during this period. It shall be unlawful to have in immediate possession a firearm, bow or any weapon or device capable of taking a black bear while participating in the bear hound training season.

C. It shall be unlawful to have in possession a firearm, bow, crossbow or any weapon capable of taking a black bear while participating in the bear hound training season. The meaning of "possession" for the purpose of this section shall include, but not be limited to, having a firearm, bow, crossbow or any weapon capable of taking a black bear in or on one’s person, vehicle, or conveyance.