Critic blames crackdown on hunting bears with dogs
by VDC staff
Thanks to a tip from the public, Vermont Fish & Wildlife officials have confirmed that a suspect has been apprehended in connection with the illegal killing and dumping of a black bear in the Trout River.
The initial report came in on Wednesday, July 23, when game wardens responded to a call about a deceased bear discovered in the water near the intersection of Route 118 and Dreamers Road in Montgomery. Upon arrival, wardens found evidence that the bear had been shot and deliberately dumped—an apparent violation of Vermont wildlife laws.
The Department of Fish & Wildlife immediately launched an investigation and asked for the public’s assistance, directing community members to submit any relevant information through its Operation Game Thief anonymous tip line.
By Friday, July 25, officials received a credible tip from a member of the community, which led to the swift identification and apprehension of a suspect. The name of the individual and further case details have not yet been released, pending formal charges.
In a public statement, the department expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support:
“Thanks to a tip from the community, a suspect was apprehended. Thank you to everyone who played a part in helping bring this to a close in record time. Your tips, your voices, and your support made all the difference.”
Authorities emphasize that wildlife crimes are taken seriously and encourage the public to continue reporting suspicious activity through the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-752-5378.
The report of the arrest of the suspect was reported on the Vermont Game Wardens’ Association Facebook Page. Among the 100+ comments beneath the post were pleas to 1) not blame the bears and 2) fully restore the practice of hunting bears with dogs.
“The bears are not the problem. It’s how humans interact with them that’s the problem. Punishing bears for acting like a bear is the wrong approach. We have bears frequently at our house. We take reasonable precautions to minimize the number of times they occur. And occasionally I have to use 12 gauge rubber slugs. Those speak the language bears understand,” one commenter said.
Another commenter said, “The bear population gets bigger and bigger every year, but they’ve made it hard for people to run the hounds so the bear population is gonna continue to grow and then they’re gonna start eating lots more things.’
Taking bears with the use of hunting dogs has been a legislative tug-of-war in recent years between sportsmen and animal rights’ groups. At present, according to eregulations.com, “Any person hunting, pursuing, harvesting, or in any manner involved in the taking of a black bear with the use of dogs must hold a valid Vermont Big Game Hunting License, use only department-registered dogs and have purchased a valid bear tag. In addition, the person hunting, pursuing, harvesting, or in any manner involved in the taking of a black bear with the use of dogs must hold a valid bear dog permit or accompany a bear dog permit holder. The license and permit are also required for training dogs to pursue bear.’
