Committee advances bill to make bear season ‘still-hunt’ only on private lands in Game Zone 1

Representative Forrest, presenting House Bill 3813, told the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee the measure would change how the state regulates bear hunting in Game Zone 1.

"This bill is a simple bill," Representative Forrest said. He told members the change would extend still hunting for the full two-week season on private lands in Game Zone 1 and remove an obsolete "party dog" registration rule, replacing it with the Department of Natural Resources' current tag system.

The bill targets Game Zone 1 only; current rules allow bear hunting in game zones 1, 2 and 4. Under the committee discussion, the season is currently split into two weeks: a still-hunt week and a dog-hunt week. HB 3813 would make both weeks still-hunt on private land and eliminate an older rule that limited hunters by a party-registration process that the Department of Natural Resources no longer enforces.

Representative Forrest explained that the state now uses individual bear tags, which allow the tag-holder to harvest one bear per year. "We're going to just go strictly with the tag system," he said, characterizing the removal of the registration language as removing an "archaic" provision.

Chairman Bill Hixson called the roll after the presentation. The committee approved the bill 13-0 with five members not present. Chairman Hixson announced, "The bill passes full committee 13 to 0 with 5 not present. This bill will now go to the house floor, and it'll be on our calendar." The bill will next be considered on the House floor.

The committee record did not specify any requested amendments or conditions attached to the committee's approval.