Bear hunting season begins on Sept. 1, and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters that a new law prohibits the sale of bear paws and organs, such as the animal’s gallbladder.

In passing the law, Act 141, Vermont joined the vast majority of U.S. states that ban hunters from selling such bear parts, which are purchased at a premium, then sold on the black market and transported to Asia.

Bear bile from the animal’s gallbladder is often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and paws are used to make soup that’s considered a delicacy, according to Lt. Robert Currier, district chief warden with the Fish & Wildlife Department.

“We’re worried about individuals that understand how much money they can make from obtaining these animal parts and selling them, and then coming to our state because of the lack of regulations related to the sale of bear galls and bear paws in the past,” he said.

Currier said the activity “does occur” in Vermont.

“We have had several open investigations over the years into gallbladders and bear paws being sold, and then in some instances, these are getting trafficked out of the state of Vermont, down into markets that ultimately, we presume, are going overseas,” he said.

There have been a “handful of investigations throughout the years,” some of which are still active, Currier said.

In other states, there have been cases where bears are killed, and only the paws and gallbladders are harvested and sold while “the rest of the bear is not used,” said Chris Herrick, commissioner of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “That’s certainly something we don’t want to see in Vermont.”

Selling bear meat, along with the meat of deer or moose, is permitted in Vermont during the open hunting season and for 20 days after the season ends, according to the department, but the meat may not be bought or sold to be transported out of the state. Likewise, people in Vermont can buy or sell the head, hide, hooves, and antlers of deer and moose hunted legally, along with the head and hide of legally hunted black bears, at any time.

The law’s passage marked a rare moment of consensus between advocates for hunting rights, advocates for animal protections and members of the Fish & Wildlife Department, who are often split on controversial regulations related to hunting.

“We were able to work with folks who may not always agree on things, but we could find common ground to help protect wildlife, and we went in together to do that,” Herrick said. “I think that’s a good starting point.”

Mike Covey, executive director of the Vermont Traditions Coalition, which often advocates in Montpelier for hunters’ rights, said the law “will reduce the likelihood of bears being harvested for the wrong reasons, and help secure a healthy future for our herd.”

Brenna Galdenzi, president of Protect Our Wildlife Vermont, said Vermont was previously “really behind the times” because it was one of only eight states without a law banning the sale of bear parts. Still, she’s confident that the law will help protect black bears in Vermont, “because when something like this is legal, it provides kind of a cover for illegal activity, poaching being the biggest concern.”

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department approached lawmakers with a proposal last session to pass the ban, according to Herrick. Wildlife advocacy groups such as Protect Our Wildlife had been pushing for such a measure since 2020, according to Galdenzi.

Asked how the law would be enforced, Currier declined to list specific details, citing a need to shield the investigation process from the public, but he said the department has the resources to enforce the law and plans to do so.

Bear gallbladders might sell for roughly $50 to a middleman, then sell for 10 to 20 times that amount on the black market, both Galdenzi and Currier said.