VermontBiz Vermont’s scientific bear management program recently received a significant funding contribution from the Vermont Bear Hound Association to support continuing research on bear reproduction and populations dynamics, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “The Vermont Bear Hound Association gave the Fish and Wildlife Department a generous donation of $3,042 to help us purchase two new satellite GPS bear tracking collars,” said Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s Bear Project Leader Jaclyn Comeau. “The collars will be used to monitor female bears to help collect data on bear reproduction success and the bear population. “This donation is a continuation of the Vermont Bear Hound Association’s commitment to the conservation of black bears in Vermont,” added Comeau. Initial results of the new bear reproduction study are not anticipated until 2031, but once available, the results will complement the department’s approach to estimating Vermont’s bear population trends.