For more information about bear hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us and click on "Hunting."

Season dates, harvest rates by year and WMU, the state's Big Game Management Plan, a link to licenses, hunting guides and more may be downloaded from this Web site.

For travel planning, call 1-800- 386-4664 or (603) 271-2665 to speak to New Hampshire Department of Tourism staff. Or you can log on to www.visitnh.gov.

VERMONT
Like most of its New England neighbors, the Green Mountain State experienced a bumper crop of beechnuts and corresponding below-average bear harvests last year.

"The 2006 Vermont black bear season resulted in 317 legally reported bears," said Scott Darling, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Wildlife biologist.

"This was below the average harvests over the previous three years. Beechnut crops were excellent throughout the state, and bears were widely distributed -- making them less accessible to hunters."

Vermont's wildlife managers, too, struggle with the challenge of limiting bear-human conflicts. Darling said habitat conservation is another challenge. Bear populations have remained stable for the past several years and are estimated at about 4,500 animals. Vermont's bear population density, about one bruin per three square miles, is one of the highest in the country.

"Healthy bear populations throughout much of the state should yield excellent hunting opportunities in 2007," Darling predicted.

Season dates are Sept. 1 through Nov. 14. In Vermont, bears may be taken by gun, bow and arrow or crossbow (by special permit only). Bears cannot be trapped, and hunters are not allowed to use bait or hunt a baited area. It's also illegal to shoot a bear in the act of raiding a backyard bird feeder.

Hunters are allowed to use dogs to take bears only if the person in charge of the dogs holds a bear-dog permit issued by the VFWD commissioner.

There may be no more than six dogs in a pack, and packs may not be relayed. Non-resident bear-dog permits are issued by lottery.

Early in the season, Vermont bruins prefer late-ripening berries, black cherries and field corn. Later, apples, beechnuts and acorns will attract hungry bears looking to bulk up for the winter.

For more information on bear-hunting opportunities in Vermont, call the Rutland Fish and Wildlife office at (802) 786-0040, or you can visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

For travel information, call the Vermont Department of Tourism at (802) 828-3237 or visit www.travel-vermont.com.