Title of Regulation: 4VAC15-50. Game: Bear (amending 4VAC15-50-12, 4VAC15-50-70, 4VAC15-50-81, 4VAC15-50-110, 4VAC15-50-120).

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

Effective Date: August 1, 2015.

Agency Contact: Phil Smith, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 7870 Villa Park Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23228, telephone (804) 367-8341 or email phil.smith@dgif.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments (i) move the youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting day from the last Saturday in September to the second Saturday in October and add the Sunday following it, making it a youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting weekend; (ii) for the Saturday of the youth and apprentice weekend, allow the use of hounds anywhere they are allowed during the open (firearm) season and in the southwest training counties, and list the areas where hunting with bear hounds during this day is prohibited; (iii) replace the term "bow and arrow" with the term "archery" or "archery equipment"; (iv) move the requirements for minimum arrow head width and distance a bow must be capable of shooting to 4VAC15-40-20; (v) remove the reference to season dates; (vi) provide exceptions for the use of firearms and bear hounds on the youth and apprentice bear hunting day; (vii) remove references to deer and turkey to accommodate the establishment of a separate special license to hunt bears; (viii) clarify the areas dogs are not permitted during open (firearms) bear season; and (ix) allow for or adjust the length of bear hound training season in several counties.

4VAC15-50-12. Youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting day weekend.

It shall be lawful for hunters 15 years of age and under and holders of a valid apprentice hunting license, when in compliance with all applicable laws and license requirements, to hunt bears on the last second Saturday in September October and the following calendar day when accompanied and directly supervised by an adult who has a valid Virginia hunting license on his person or is exempt from purchasing a hunting license. Adult hunters accompanying youth or apprentice bear hunters on this day weekend may not carry or discharge weapons. Bear bag limit, weight limits, and all other take restrictions specifically provided in the sections appearing in this chapter apply to this youth day weekend. Bear hunting with dogs is prohibited except any place where there is a bear hound training season currently in progress as defined in 4VAC15-50-120 (Bear hound training season) and tracking in the counties of Accomack, Campbell (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Fairfax, [ Grayson (east of Route 16), Henry, ] Loudoun, Northampton, [ Patrick, ] Pittsylvania (west of Norfolk Southern Railroad), Roanoke (south of Interstate 81), [ Smyth (south of Interstate 81 and east of Route 16), Washington (south of Interstate 81), ] and in the city of Lynchburg; and on Amelia, Chester F. Phelps, G. Richard Thompson, and Pettigrew Wildlife Management Areas. Tracking dogs as defined described in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

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

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

B. It shall be unlawful to carry firearms while hunting with bow and arrow archery equipment during the special archery seasons, except that hunters 15 years of age and under and apprentice hunters may be in possession of firearms while hunting on youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting weekend as authorized by 4VAC15-50-12 and 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. C. 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, except archery equipment during the special archery season, except that hounds may be used by hunters participating in the youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting weekend in areas as defined in 4VAC15-50-12, and that tracking dogs as defined described in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

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 in subsection A of this section, 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 Business U.S. 29 from the James River to its intersection with U.S. 29 just south of the town of Amherst continuing north on U.S. 29 to the Tye River), Bedford, and Nelson (west of Route 151); and within the boundaries of the national forests, except that tracking dogs as defined described in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

B. It shall be unlawful to use dogs for the hunting of bear during the first 14 days of the open season for hunting deer in the counties of Greene and Madison, except that tracking dogs as defined described in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

C. It shall be unlawful to use dogs for the hunting of bear during the open season prescribed in 4VAC15-50-11 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), 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 Wildlife Management Areas, except that tracking dogs as defined described in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

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

A. It shall be lawful to chase black bear with dogs, without capturing or taking, from the second Saturday in August through the last Saturday in September, both dates inclusive, 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 (west of Route 16), ] Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, [ Henry, ] Isle of Wight, James City, King and 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 Interstate 81), [ Smyth (south of Interstate 81), Smyth (that part south of Interstate 81 and west of Route 16), ] 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.

B. It shall be lawful to chase black bear with dogs, without capturing or taking, from the Saturday prior to the third Monday in November and for 14 days following, both dates inclusive, in the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Brunswick, Campbell (east of the Norfolk Southern Railroad), Charles City, Charlotte, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Greensville, Halifax, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Nottoway, Pittsylvania (east of the Norfolk Southern Railroad), Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, Westmoreland, and York.

C. It shall be lawful to chase black bears with dogs, without capturing or taking, in the counties of Brunswick, Greensville, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg from the first Saturday in September through the third last Saturday in September, both dates inclusive.

D. 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.