MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont’s early bear hunting season is underway.
The season opened on Wednesday and runs through Nov. 12. One exception is that nonresident hunters using dogs are not permitted to bear hunt in Vermont until Sept. 15, according to the the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Vermont’s later bear hunting season starts on Nov. 13 and runs through Nov. 21.
Hunters are allowed to take one bear during the year.
The state’s regulated bear hunting seasons help manage the state’s bear population, said Mark Scott, the department’s director of wildlife.
Vermont had fewer than 1,500 bears 50 years ago, mostly in the mountains and the northeast corner, he said.
“Bears are now found statewide except in Grand Isle County, and although we have successfully increased bear numbers to close to 5,000, the human population also has increased, resulting in more encounters between humans and bears,” Scott said.
New Hampshire’s bear hunting season also began Wednesday. Maine’s started on Monday.
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