DGIF Increases Cost of Hunting Big Game in Virginia

Yesterday, the Board of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries did by regulation something they have not been successful doing legislatively the last several years, separating the Bear Tag from the Big Game Tags hunters have purchased for years to hunt deer, bear and turkey.  On a 5-4 vote, the Board voted to separate the Bear Tag and set a fee of $20 for residents and $150 for non-residents - that's in addition to the state resident hunting license fee of $23.00, and, if you hunt other big game species (deer and turkey) $23.00.  So if you want to hunt all three it will now cost you $66.00.  If you hunt archery and or muzzleloader season it costs additional fees for those too ($18.00 each).  If you are not the only member of your household that hunts you could spend a small fortune on licenses.  I have a bear on the property I deer hunt.  My daughter had hoped that maybe she would see it when she was deer hunting and would be able to shoot it during the youth hunting day in September or during the one week bear season December.  Now, for that to happen, we will have to purchase a separate license.

Also in Board action taken on Tuesday, on a 9-0 vote, the board banned the use of scent made from excretion collected from a deer or elk, including feces, urine, blood, glad oil or other bodily fluids.(such as the Code Blue Standing Estrus).  The reason for this is their fear those scents may increase the spread of chronic wasting disease.  Hunters will still be able to use synthetic deer substances.