Jenny Gilbert

This regulation establishes black bear chase and hunt seasons, chase and hunt requirements, bag limits, and legal methods of take.

To establish bear hunting season requirements and methods of take to provide reasonable hunting and chasing opportunity, while properly managing bear populations in Kentucky.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative regulations to establish open seasons for the taking of wildlife, regulate bag limits, and to make these requirements apply to a limited area. KRS 150.390(1) prohibits the taking of bears in any manner contrary to any provisions of Chapter 150 or its regulations.

This administrative regulation will assist in administering the above statutes by defining the seasons, bag limits, and methods of chase and take used to manage black bears in Kentucky.

This amendment will remove the bear quotas that regulated harvest in the past and instead regulate the harvest using season length. The Bear Zone will be redrawn to include four counties in Bear Zone 1, with specific hunting seasons, and 43 counties in Bear Zone 2, again with specific hunting seasons. Additionally, the season dates for the bear hunt with dogs season will be split to not overlap with bear archery season. Finally, equipment restrictions are to be amended to include modern guns of .264 caliber (6.5 mm) and muzzleloaders of .45 caliber.

This amendment is necessary to improve hunter opportunity by removing harvest quotas, adjusting zones and providing dates that remove the overlap of bear hunting seasons.

See 1(c) above.

See 1(d) above.

All hunters that pursue black bears will be affected by this regulatory amendment. In 2021, there were roughly 1,200 licensed bear hunters in Kentucky.

Those who hunt bear must comply with the individual requirements and restrictions for respective hunt or chase-only seasons for bears.

The cost for a bear chase permit is $30, a youth bear chase permit is $10, a resident bear permit is $30, a resident youth bear permit is ten dollars $10, and a non-resident bear permit is $250, pursuant to 301 KAR 3:022.

Hunting opportunity will be increased while ensuring a sustainable bear population for the future.

There will be a small administrative cost to the department to implement this regulation.

There will be a small cost to the department on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

It will not be necessary to increase a fee or funding to implement this administrative regulation.

This administrative regulation does not establish any fees nor does it indirectly increase any fees.

No. Tiering was not used because all persons who hunt bear are required to abide by the same requirements.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' Divisions of Wildlife and Law Enforcement will be impacted by this amendment.

KRS 150.025(1) and 150.390(1).

For the 2021 bear season, the total amount of revenue generated through permit sales was approximately $40,000. The amount of revenue generated by this administrative regulation for the first year will likely be similar.

The amount of revenue generated by this administrative regulation for subsequent years is unknown but will likely be similar to 2021.

There will be a small administrative cost to administer this program for the first year.

There will be a small administrative cost incurred in subsequent years.

None. This administrative regulation does not amend fees nor does it reduce the cost burden to bear hunters. Overall, these amendments will allow for more bear hunting opportunity at the same cost as before.

None. This administrative regulation does not amend fees nor does it reduce the cost burden to bear hunters. Overall, these amendments will allow for more bear hunting opportunity at the same cost as before.

The cost of a bear permit will remain the same. For a resident hunter, that cost is $30. For a non-resident hunter, that cost is $250.

Each year, the cost will remain the same under the current regulations.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)] This amendment will not result in any form of major economic impact as the license and permit fees associated with this regulation have not changed.

None.

Non associated with this regulation

None.

No.

N/A.