Public Hearing on F&W Regulation Changes, Barre

Fish & Wildlife to hold Public Hearing July 17 on Proposed Regulation Changes

MONTPELIER, Vt. –The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is accepting public comment on proposed amendments to four Fish and Wildlife Board regulations:

• 10 App. V.S.A. § 2, Report, Big Game: The proposed amendments explicitly prohibit making false statements in the reporting of wild game taken, allow the Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife to pay a fee of at least one dollar per report to agents at authorized reporting stations, and make minor technical updates to the citations in the rule.  The department is currently authorized to reimburse check-station agents one dollar per report.  The proposed language is intended to give the department the ability to increase the reimbursement amount, incentivizing the continued operation of check-stations.
• 10 App. V.S.A. § 2a. Big game; tagging: The proposed amendments clarify the big game tagging requirements regarding required tag information, tagging requirements for individuals taking game on their own land, and tagging requirements for the transportation of animal parts.  The proposed rule language requires that all big game carcasses are tagged with a tag that contains the name of the hunter, and the applicable tag or permit number.  This information is necessary for appropriate enforcement of license and permitting requirements.
• 10 App. V.S.A. § 5. Bow and arrow and crossbow standards: The proposed amendments continue to require the same arrowhead width and cutting edges but apply the standards to broadheads used with crossbows as well.
• 10 App. V.S.A. § 12. Leashed tracking dogs: The proposed amendments include an amendment to the definition of “big game animal” to be consistent with the definition in 10 V.S.A. § 4001, to include all big game animals including moose.  This will allow hunters to employ leashed tracking dogs to legally track dead or wounded moose.  And the proposed amendment strikes the language limiting tracking to big game seasons and the 24-hour period immediately following.  This will allow for the use of tracking dogs to locate animals injured or killed outside the legal hunting seasons.

A public hearing will be held on July 17 to solicit input on the proposed changes.  The hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the VTrans Dill Building, 2178 Airport Road, Barre, VT 05641. 

To join the meeting remotely, please use this link.  Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request.  Individuals making such requests should provide a description of the requested accommodation and must include their contact information.  Please send an e-mail to hannah.smith@vermont.gov or call 802-461-8187 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY).

Public comments can be submitted via email to ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov through July 24.  More information on the proposed rule changes is available online at: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/about-us/fish-and-wildlife-board/board-rules