Several changes to the 2011 bear season were recently passed into law but they won’t be found in the 2011 bear hunting regulation pamphlets that had already been printed. A supplement will be provided on the DNR’s public web site where the bear regulations are found.
A synopsis of changes follow:
A. Backup Shooters: Act 28 provides that a Class B license holder may shoot and kill a bear that was first shot, but not killed, by a Class A bear license holder if: 1). The Class B license holder was hunting in the same hunting party as the Class A license holder at the point of kill; 2). The Class A license holder possesses a current, unused carcass tag authorized for use on the bear, and; 3). Killing the bear is necessary to protect the safety of other members of the hunting party or the public.
• By allowing a Class B bear license holder to now shoot a bear under certain conditions, this bill effectively makes this license a license which authorizes hunting, which it previously did not allow. This now means that a person must have completed hunter education to purchase this license if born on or after 1-1-73. If they have not, then the ALIS system will now print “Mentored Only” on this person’s Class B bear license. The mentored only provisions, such as: “arms reach of mentor/one firearm jointly” will only apply to the holder of the license if and when they actually shoot or shoot at a wounded bear as allowed under this bill.
• It will be important for individuals to understand that this new authority is not a blanket authority for a person of any age to possess a firearm or to shoot a wounded bear (“hunt bear”).
• Additionally, any person age 12-13, and any person age 14-15 who has not yet completed hunter education, must still be in compliance with the general visual & voice contact of a parent or adult guardian requirements
B. Tagging a Bear: Act 28 requires that a Class B license holder who shoots and kills a bear as authorized above under A., shall assure that the class A bear license holder who first shot the bear immediately attaches a their current validated bear carcass tag to the bear.
C. License Exemption: Act 28 allows a person who is under age 16 to engage in the activities authorized under a Class B bear license without holding a Class B bear license, except shooting a wounded bear as backup shooter if under age 10.
• For 2011, this will mean that persons with only a Class B bear license, persons with a filled or unfilled Class A bear license, and persons who are not required to hold a Class B bear license (those under age 16 & persons assisting Class A, B & C disabled hunting permit holders) can train or assist in training dogs to track or trail bear July 1-August 31, and Sept. 7-Oct. 4, 2011.
• It is still not legal to hunt without dogs over a bear bait site without a Class A bear license. But display of back tag is still now technically only required if “hunting bear” (defined as shooting, shooting at, etc.)
E. Back Tags: Act 28 eliminates the requirement that DNR issue a back tag with a Class B bear license and that a Class B bear license holder display a back tag while engaged in activities authorized by the license, including shooting a bear as a “backup shooter”. The Class A bear back tag display requirement has been modified, regarding when it must be displayed.
• Any Class B bear license issued from March thru June will have included a back tag. Future Class B bear licenses will simply be on a small green square of paper like other types of licenses that do not have a back tag.
• Class A bear license holders must display their back tag, but now only when “hunting bear”, which by definition means when shooting, shooting at, taking, catching, or killing a bear, or pursuing a bear (with or without dogs) for the purpose of shooting, shooting at, taking, catching, or killing the bear. A Class A bear license holder, like a Class B bear license holder, no longer needs to wear their back tag if only placing bait for bears, training a dog to track or trail a bear, assisting another Class A bear license holder who is hunting bear by tracking bear, trailing bear or engaging in an activity that contributes to locating bear for another.
F. Free Training & Baiting Weekend: There is now a “Free Bear Dog Training & Baiting Weekend” each year on the 3rd Saturday and following Sunday in August. This new provision authorizes a person to engage in activities authorized by a Class B license without the need for a license during this weekend. For 2011, the free bear dog training & baiting weekend will occur on Aug 21-22.
• Like fishing without a license on Free Fishing Weekend, a person who is not required to have a license must still comply with all other rules that regulate that activity, such as: the amount and types of bait, number of dogs used, carrying of dogs tags, etc.