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I doubt this is correct. HB would stand for House Bill, not law. And since you said it was passed, I can find no such law on the books. Also, there is a press release from VT Fish and Wildlife from March 2015 that says nothing of the sort. It "suggests" you remove them during certain dates. You can read it at

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=73163&pageId=491655.

Here is the text:

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recommends taking down bird feeders from April 1 through November 30 to avoid attracting black bears that will be coming out of their winter dens to seek an early spring meal.

Bears are attracted to suet and bird seed, especially black oil sunflower seed. Bringing feeders in at night doesn’t work, because bears will still feed on seed that is spilled on the ground.

Bird feeders are just one of the things that can attract hungry bears. Other sources of food that bears find appealing are: pet food, barbecue grills, garbage, household trash containers, open dumpsters, and campsites with accessible food and food wastes.

Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear, it’s also illegal.

Vermont law also states that residents must take reasonable measures to protect their property from bears before lethal force can be taken. Some of these measures include:
• Keep chickens and honeybees secure within an electric fence or other bear-proof enclosure.
• Never feed bears, deliberately or accidentally.
• Feed your pets indoors.
• Store trash in a secure place. Trash cans alone are not enough!

Kent

____________________________

Kent McFarland
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
802.649.1431 x2

On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 9:40 AM, Connie Snyder <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Addendum: I tried looking up the "law" without success and have just sent a query to our representatives Tim Briglin and Jim Masland. The goldfinches, pine siskins, purple and house finches, nuthatches and now the rose-breasted grosbeaks, not to mention mourning dove who manage to balance on the little platform, chickadees, blue jay, pair of beautiful little chipping sparrows that have been coming to our cylinder feeder hoisted up under the second-floor eaves have been a source of great pleasure this spring. Not something I would give up willingly...

Connie Snyder

On 17 May 2016 at 09:29, Michael Choukas Jr. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I did not know it was a law. I took down my sunflower seed feeder (which was hit by bear as we watched 15 years ago) but still have my tubular feeder with niger seed active as well as some bedraggled suet.

The tubular feeder had up to thirty goldfinches feeding daily all through April and now has ten to fifteen pine siskins all the time.

Should I take it down?

Mike

From: Upper Valley Birders <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Connie Snyder <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 9:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [UVB] Purported Summer Bird Feeder Ban in Vermont & New Hampshire

A posting on yesterday's Thetford listserv asserts that on July 1, 2014 a law went into effect in Vermont banning the use of bird feeders beginning early in the spring. HB 101 was designed to reduce the number of nuisance bears in the state that, due to HUMAN behavior, lose their fear of entering people’s yards and are, in fact, rewarded for doing so. Once a bear finds a prime source of bird seed or human food, more bears can be attracted. Not only that but the first bear will visit OTHER HOMES in the
area where it finds food, it will not just stay in your yard. This year bird feeders were to be taken down by March 15 in Vermont and March 17 in New
Hampshire and certainly no later than April 1. Bird feeders are NOT to be put out again until DECEMBER 1 or UNTIL there is a prolonged period of snow..."

Yikes! I have been oblivious of this development.

I'm wondering: how are other Upper Valley birders dealing with this?

Connie Snyder

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