No Bear Tooth Extractions in 2020?

September 10, 2020

Question: I heard that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is not requiring hunters to bring harvested bears to an office for a tooth extraction this season. Is that a permanent change or just a temporary situation due to coronavirus? (John)

Answer: Tooth extraction is a practice that provides wildlife biologists with data on age demographics for study. A tooth is typically extracted by a CDFW employee when the hunter presents the bear and tag for validation. Successful hunters must still present their bear and tag to an employee for validation as per California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 14, section 708.12(c) and 367.5; however, in an effort to simplify the validation process and help ensure health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDFW is not requiring bear tooth extractions this year. This is a temporary change for 2020 only.

Please note that due to necessary coronavirus safety precautions, CDFW facilities that usually validate tags may be closed to the public. Please refer to CDFW’s news release on tag validation and call ahead to find a facility near you that is open for validations.