MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont’s top game warden is among 100 successful bear hunters who failed to comply with a new regulation that they submit a tooth from the bear they shot so it can be studied by biologists.
The regulation that hunters submit a pre-molar tooth within 48 hours of shooting a bear was new for the 2017 bear hunting season.
The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife says Col. Jason Batchelder, the state’s top game warden, was one of the hunters who did not submit a tooth on time. Batchelder eventually submitted the tooth, but after the deadline.
The department says that as is common with new regulations, none of the hunters were ticketed.
The department is planning to step-up its efforts this summer to better inform hunters of the requirement.
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