Utah Division of Natural Resources

Salt Lake City, Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Starting this spring, bear hunters will have opportunities they’ve never had before in Utah.

The new opportunities have been made possible through a new bear management plan the Utah Wildlife Board approved in 2011.

John Shivik, mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the plan is giving more people a chance to hunt bears in Utah. “At the same time,” Shivik says, “the plan provides some important safeguards to keep the state’s bear populations healthy and safe.”

Board approves hunting rules
At their Jan. 12 meeting, members of the Wildlife Board approved black bear hunting and pursuit rules for Utah’s 2012 seasons.

All of the rules the board approved will be available in the 2012 Utah Black Bear Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks by Jan. 31.

The following are some highlights:

• In the past, most of the bears that were hunted in Utah were tracked with hounds and ran up trees. A few hunters have also used bait to lure bears in so the hunters could make a clean and effective shot with a bow and arrow.
• But starting this spring, more spot-and-stalk-only hunts will be offered in Utah.
• Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts. Instead, they must spot the bear and stalk it.
  In the past, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas were limited-entry areas. Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it.
• Starting this spring, though, the state will offer some harvest-objective hunts.
• The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching a limited-entry area to a harvest-objective area gives more people a chance to hunt the area.
• To protect bears on harvest-objective areas, the number of bears that can be taken on each area is limited. Once that limit—also known as the area’s quota—is reached, the hunt on the area ends for the season.
• Harvest-objective hunts will be offered on three areas: The Wasatch Mountains, Currant Creek, Avintaquin unit in north central Utah, the Beaver unit in southwestern Utah and the Nine Mile unit in southeastern Utah.
  The spring hunts on some of Utah’s bear hunting units will run a little longer this year. The longer spring seasons will allow biologists to put more pressure on bears in areas where livestock are often killed and campgrounds raided by bears.

More hunters can hunt black bears in Utah this year. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

Protecting the bears
In addition to providing some new hunting opportunities, the new plan provides bears with some important safeguards:

In the past, Shivik says three hunting-related factors have been used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of bears taken that are female, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive each hunting season.

You won’t find those three factors in the new plan. Instead, biologists are focusing on two key factors: the number of female bears and the number of adult male bears that hunters take.

(An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Shivik says the number of females and the number of adult males hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing:

The number of females hunters take is important because females give birth to cubs and then care for the cubs after they’re born.

“But the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population is the number of adult males hunters take in relation to the number of females,” Shivik says.

Shivik says adult males wander more than other bears. The wandering the adult males do helps bear populations expand.

Because they wander more, adult males are also the bears hunters usually encounter first.

If biologists see that the number of adult males hunters are taking is going down—and the number of females is going up—they know the bear population in the area is declining.

“Once hunters start finding more females,” Shivik says, “we know the population is declining in number.”

In addition to the number of female bears and adult male bears hunters take, biologists are also using two important bear studies to monitor the health of Utah’s bear population:

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah. After the hair is snagged, DNA tests are used to determine how often the bears that left the snagged hair visited the sites. This study is helping biologists measure how fast or slow the state’s bear populations are growing.

In the second study, biologists visit bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens. The biologists also assess the health of the cubs and their mothers. This study is giving biologists important information about the number of new bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear that was found floating in the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish.

Hunters in the area reported the bear to LDWF on Sunday, Dec. 11 near the old ferry landing.

LDWF performed a necropsy on the bear at the recovery scene, which revealed the bear was shot multiple times and then probably disposed of into the river. LDWF is estimating that the bear was shot either a day or two before being reported.

“The bear was a lactating female meaning this action has left orphan cubs out there somewhere that will now also die as a result of this unfortunate shooting,” said Maria Davidson, LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager.

“Losing this mother bear and most likely her cubs is a serious setback for our plans to make the Louisiana black bear a sustainable game animal in the near future.”

When LDWF officials went back to retrieve the bear they found the bear had been decapitated by someone since the last visit to the scene. LDWF is warning the public that being found in possession of parts of a Louisiana black bear is against the law.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing or the whereabouts of the missing black bear head should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Cash rewards up to $5,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a black bear. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

“We have solved cases like this in the past with the public’s help and we are again asking for any leads that might guide us in the right direction” said Col. Winton Vidrine, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division. “

This bear has no reported nuisance history and by all accounts was a healthy adult female Louisiana black bear.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a civil restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

With the number of bear and hunter interactions on the rise within the last couple of years, LDWF encourages hunters to carry bear spray and know a few simple rules. If possible, a hunter encountering a bear should back away and proceed in another direction. If a bear approaches, you should raise your arms over your head to appear larger and speak in a normal tone of voice to let the bear know you are there. If the bear continues to approach, wave your arms and yell at the bear. At this point a hunter could use bear spray to deter the bear’s approach.

Hunters should also be aware that baiting deer with corn artificially concentrates bears near deer stands. It is recommended that hunters either refrain from using corn for bait or use soybeans to reduce bear feeding activity. Bear encounters can be reported to 1-800-442-2511.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- A New Iberia man was sentenced in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Dec. 21 for illegally killing a Louisiana black bear.

Federal Judge Patrick J. Hanna sentenced Cory R. Ronsonet, 39, to three years of supervised probation, three years of no hunting privileges, a $3,000 fine and 300 hours of community service. If the fine is paid and community service completed within six weeks, then the probation will be reduced to unsupervised.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents initiated the investigation during the 2008-09 hunting season after receiving a public tip that a black bear had been shot then skinned and stored in a fashion to mount it in the future. Agents then found a black bear skin and its decapitated head on May 19, 2011 off of Daniel Lane near a subdivision in New Iberia.

During the investigation, Ronsonet admitted to LDWF Enforcement Division agents on May 31, 2011 of taking the black bear in question. Ronsonet pleaded guilty for violating the federal endangered species act for illegally taking a black bear in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Aug. 17.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Mickel and Howard Parker prosecuted the case. LDWF Senior Agent David Boudreaux was the lead investigator on the case and was assisted by Sgts. James Rhodes, Mitch Darby, Brian Theriot and Senior Agent Jason Romero. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Phillip Siragusa also assisted with the investigation.

The bear had been a part of LDWF’s black bear program and was first tagged in 2000 when it was estimated to be six years old. The passive integrated transponder implanted during the initial capture was left in the hide when the bear was skinned and provided positive identification. LDWF had never received a nuisance call about this older male bear that lived mostly in the Weeks Island area of lower Iberia Parish.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced preliminary bear harvest results from the state’s three recently concluded seasons show that hunters harvested 3,968 bears, which would rank the total harvest as the second highest in Pennsylvania history.

The preliminary breakdown of harvest by season is: 257 bears taken during the statewide, five-day archery bear season; 3,154 bears taken during the four-day bear season, which included a Saturday-opener; and 557 bears taken during the extended bear season held in various Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) during all or portions of the first week of the deer season.

Official total bear harvest figures won’t be available until early 2012, after a detailed review of each harvest report is completed. Preliminary bear harvest totals do change occasionally by a few bears.

In the 2005 bear season, hunters harvested a record 4,164 bears. The harvest record was set in a three-day statewide season and a six-day extended bear season in five WMUs.

Other recent bear harvests include: 3,090 in 2010; 3,512 in 2009; 3,458 in 2008; 2,362 in 2007; 3,124 in 2006; 2,976 in 2004; 3,000 in 2003; 2,686 in 2002; 3,063 in 2001; 3,075 in 2000; 1,740 in 1999; and 2,598 in 1998.

The preliminary bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with 2010 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 13 (11); WMU 1B, 60 (42); WMU 2A, 2 (1); WMU 2B, 1 (0): WMU 2C, 223 (307); WMU 2D, 150 (145); WMU 2E, 69 (93); WMU 2F, 344 (199); WMU 2G, 1,070 (892); WMU 3A, 464 (198); WMU 3B, 453 (232); WMU 3C, 170 (108); WMU 3D, 331 (256); WMU 4A, 75 (135); WMU 4B, 70 (53); WMU 4C, 139 (90); WMU 4D, 259 (244); WMU 4E, 72 (31); WMU 5A, 1 (0); WMU 5B, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 1 (2). The only WMU not to record a harvest was WMU 5D, comprised of Philadelphia, and portions of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Bears were harvested in 54 of the state’s 67 counties. The top five bear harvest counties this year, once again, all come from the Northcentral Region. The top county was Tioga, with 343 (183 in 2010); followed by Potter, 327 (148); Lycoming, 291 (228); McKean, 246 (92); and Clinton 198 (248).

Preliminary county harvests by region (with 2010 figures in parentheses) are:

• Northwest: Warren, 119 (54); Forest, 90 (47); Venango, 54 (56); Clarion, 45 (47); Jefferson, 45 (33); Crawford, 16 (10); Butler, 9 (12); Erie, 7 (3); and Mercer, 6 (2).
• Southwest: Somerset, 75 (83); Fayette, 67 (101); Armstrong, 66 (56); Indiana, 33 (42); Cambria, 30 (18); Westmoreland, 24 (62); and Allegheny, 1 (0).
• Northcentral: Tioga, 343 (183); Potter 327 (148); Lycoming, 291 (228); McKean, 246 (92); Clinton, 198 (248); Elk, 150 (89); Clearfield, 143 (182); Centre, 110 (118); Cameron, 95 (138); and Union, 40 (46).
• Southcentral: Huntingdon, 65 (95); Bedford, 54 (84); Mifflin, 47 (41); Juniata, 32 (19); Blair, 29 (31); Snyder, 26 (19); Fulton, 15 (11); Franklin, 13 (8); Perry, 13 (17); Cumberland, 4 (1).
• Northeast: Sullivan, 177 (57); Wayne, 139 (82); Bradford, 122 (38); Pike, 116 (122); Luzerne, 95 (58); Monroe, 87 (57); Wyoming, 55 (22); Susquehanna, 51 (41); Carbon, 43 (35); Columbia, 24 (20); Lackawanna, 22 (16); and Northumberland, 7 (3).
• Southeast: Dauphin, 46 (20); Schuylkill, 34 (27); Lebanon, 13 (7); Northampton, 4 (7); Lehigh 3 (0); and Berks, 2 (2).

According to preliminary reports, 81 bears weighing 500 pounds or more were legally harvested during the three seasons. The top 10 bears processed at check stations all had estimated live weights that exceeded 678 pounds.

Joseph C. Colyer, of Pocono Lake, harvested the largest bear, a male that weighed 767 pounds (estimated live weight). The bear was taken in Tobyhanna, Monroe County, at 6:50 a.m. on Nov. 16, with a crossbow during the archery bear season.

Other large bears (all estimated live weights) included: a 746-pound male, taken by Jonathan E. Byler, of Ulysses, in Ulysses, Potter County, on Nov. 19; a 734-pound male, taken by Steven Camasta, of Lakeview, in Salem Township, Wayne County, on Nov. 19; a 733-pound male, taken by John J. Hennick, of Cambria, in Bell Township, Clearfield County, on Nov. 19; a 733-pound male, taken by Robert Christian, of East Stroudsburg, in Stroud, Monroe County, on Nov. 30; a 729-pound male, taken by William Simpson, of East Brady Township, in Highland Township, Elk County on Nov. 21; a 714-pound male, taken by Timothy Kiser, of Karns City, in Bradys Bend Township, Armstrong County on Nov. 19; a 706-pound male, taken by Paul Hoyt, of Levittown, in Lehigh Township, Wayne County on Nov. 19; a 682-pound male, taken by Robert M. Serfass, of Saylorsburg, in Lehman, Pike County, on Nov. 23; and a 678-pound male, taken by Matthew Romano, of Conshohocken, in Fox Township, Sullivan County, on Nov. 19.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Black bears inhabit the U.S. from the lowland swamps of coastal North Carolina to the tall mountains of northern California.

While many Americans never spot a secretive black bear, more hunters and homeowners are seeing more bears in some areas of America.

Some of these persons say they are seeing too many bears.

Black bear populations are increasing in many regions of the U.S. The proof is growing. South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources recently issued guidelines for dealing with problem bears. Hunters there killed nearly 100 bears during the 2009 hunting season, and cars killed more than 20 in the same period. The state is considering expanding hunting areas and seasons to counter problem bears and rising citizen complaints.

Down in Florida, bear numbers are on the upswing and the state is working on a bear management plan. Bears are also being noted in Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and other areas where the bruins have been missing —or questionable— for decades. Louisiana brought in black bears from Minnesota and released them during the 1960s. Texas has seen bear numbers climb and now has a black bear management plan that runs through 2015.

Black bears have also been attacking humans from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to Washington State. Some of those attacks have been deadly. Black bears are simply more numerous and widespread than other bear species, so the chances of being attacked by a black bear are higher. Black bears are also more frequently encountered around homes because they come close in search of food, such as the seeds or suet in bird feeders. Yet, grizzly attacks seem to always receive the national media attention.

If hunters seek bears and bear hunting tags, they should visit states and regions where bears are most bountiful. Much of the preferred bear habitat and hunting areas in the U.S. are along the spines of the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The coastal northwest regions and Alaska also have many black bears—and one Alaskan carrier that can help you put a black bear in your sights is Ninilchik charters at www.ninilchik.com. In many states, bear hunting licenses are sold over the counter. Montana is one state where you will have to take —and pass— a test to distinguish between black bears and grizzlies before you can hunt.

The work of anti-hunting groups who opposed the use of bait and/or hounds to hunt bears in past years can also be blamed —or thanked— for increased bear populations that threaten humans.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The DEP is advising residents and outdoor enthusiasts in North Jersey, especially in areas regularly frequented by black bears, to strictly adhere to guidelines for eliminating or securing potential black bear food sources during the fall period when bears feed extensively to build fat layers for hibernation.

Black bears may be especially on the hunt this season for high calorie foods, such as food scraps in household trash and bird seed from outdoor bird feeders, due to localized scarcities of acorns and other tree nuts, which are an important black bear food source known as ”mast.” Mast production, especially the acorn crop, is typically cyclical, and this year’s scarcity follows two very plentiful mast years. Factors such as gypsy moth infestation, spring frost, excessive spring rain and humidity influence the natural mast production cycle.

In low mast years, such as this year, bears are more likely to exploit alternative foods, such as human trash and bird seed, to provide the calories they need to prepare for winter. Homes and campgrounds become prime potential food sources for black bears when natural foods are in short supply.

The black bear population has stabilized this year in Northwest Jersey as a result of the State Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, which includes a mix of education, research, hunting, and non-lethal techniques. The result has been a decrease in bear-human incidents compared to 2010. But the mast shortage will increase the potential for bear-human conflicts this fall as bears may become bolder and more persistent in searching for food near homes and campgrounds.

“Residents, hikers and campers can reduce the likelihood of attracting bears if they are aware of all potential food sources for bears and diligently bear-proof residences and camps by removing or properly securing any potential bear food,” said David Chanda, Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The bear hunt is just one facet of the State’s Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, which also includes public education, research, bear habitat analysis and protection, non-lethal bear management techniques, enforcement of laws, and efforts to keep human food sources, especially household trash, away from bears to limit bear-human encounters.

New Jersey residents and visitors should be aware that feeding or intentionally providing food for black bears is against the law. Violators could face a penalty of up to a $1,000 for each offense. Conservation Officers and State Park Police, along with local police departments, will be on the lookout for incidents where food is intentionally provided for black bears.

These simple rules for living in black bear country–particularly Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, northern Passaic, northern Somerset and western Bergen counties –will help minimize conflicts with black bears:

• Reducing conflicts with bears is a community effort. It only takes several households with unsecured food for bears to create a nuisance bear that could affect an entire neighborhood.
• Invest in bear-proof garbage containers. If not using bear-proof garbage containers, store all garbage in containers with tight fitting lids in a secure area such as a basement, the inside wall of a garage, or a shed.
• Put garbage out on collection day, not the evening before.
• Wash garbage containers with a disinfectant at least once a week to eliminate odors. Draping ammonia or bleach soaked cloth over containers will help to eliminate odors.
• Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in compost piles.
• Feed birds only from December 1 to April 1, when bears are least active.
• When feeding birds when bears are active, suspend birdfeeders at least 10 feet off the ground. Clean up spilled seeds and shells daily.
• Feed outdoor pets during daylight hours only. Immediately remove all food scraps and bowls after feeding.
• Clean outdoor grills thoroughly after each use. Grease and food residue can attract bears.
• Do not leave food unattended while camping or picnicking.
• Store all food items in coolers inside vehicles where they can not be seen or in bear-proof food storage lockers at State Park facilities
• Never feed a black bear. It is dangerous and against the law.
• Report bear damage or nuisance behavior to your local police department or to the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (877) 927-6337.

To learn more about New Jersey’s black bears, visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm.

To read the State’s Comprehensive Black Bear management Policy, visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10.htm.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters interested in learning the age of the bear they harvested during the 2010 seasons can log onto the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

To access the database providing this information, click on “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, then click on “Hunting,” scroll down and click on “Black Bear” in the “Big Game” listing, and then scroll down and click on “Black Bear Age Data” in the “Reference” listing.

“As a cost-cutting measure, the Game Commission no longer mails a certificate and letter to successful bear hunters notifying them of their bear’s age,” said Carl G. Roe, agency executive director.

“To maintain this valued customer service, however, we provide hunters with a certificate at the check station when their bear is processed, and information about how and when they can find the age data, which is determined by examining a tooth from the bear that is extracted as part of the check station processing, on our website.”

Ages are available only for bears from which a tooth was pulled. To access the data and learn the age of their bear, a hunter will need to have their legal seal number from the check station certificate. If the hunter no longer has the seal number, age data also is provided in charts broken down by county of harvest.

In 2010, Pennsylvania’s 161,119 licensed bear hunters took 3,090 bears, which is the state’s fifth highest harvest recorded in Pennsylvania. The record bear harvest of 4,164 was set in 2005.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers are searching for a black bear reported to have attacked a female jogger northeast of Colville yesterday.

According to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, a 36-year-old woman was attacked by a black bear while she was jogging in the late morning on a trail between Thomas and Gillette lakes, 17 miles northeast of Colville on the Colville National Forest. She dropped to the ground into a protective fetal position and the bear batted at her and then left the area. Later in the day she was treated and released at Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville.

Today WDFW officials were notified of the incident by the Sheriff’s office. WDFW enforcement officers are working with U.S. Forest Service (USFS) staff to investigate the scene of the incident, place bear traps and possibly use dogs to find the bear. USFS campgrounds are maintained at Thomas and Gillette lakes.

WDFW Enforcement Capt. Chris Anderson said that because of the time that has elapsed since the attack, finding the bear may be difficult. If officers find the bear and determine that it was the animal involved in the attack, the bear will be euthanized, according to WDFW policy.

There have been five other bear attacks on humans and one reported fatality in Washington, according to historical records. Last September a man was seriously injured by a bear near Lake Wenatchee.

Washington’s black bear population is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 animals. WDFW receives an average of about 417 black bear complaints annually, ranging from glimpses of bears to encounters. Black bears are classified as a game species and may be harvested during prescribed hunting seasons by licensed hunters who have purchased bear tags.

Typically, black bears avoid people but can pose a safety risk if they become habituated to human food sources. Bears become overly familiar with humans if they are fed or find unsecured garbage, bird seed, pet food, windfall fruit or compost piles.

WDFW officials offer the following advice to minimize the risk of injury if a bear is encountered in the wild:

Don’t run. Pick up small children, stand tall, wave your arms above your head and shout.
Do not approach the animal and be sure to leave it an escape route. Try to get upwind of the bear so that it can identify you as a human and leave the area.
Don’t look the bear directly in the eye, as the animal may interpret this as a sign of aggression.
If the animal does attack, fight back aggressively

Problem bear encounters may be reported to local WDFW regional offices, or WDFW’s dangerous wildlife reporting line, 1-877-933-9847. In an emergency, dial 911.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Last week, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to remove the state’s black bears from its list of threatened species.

This decision came following a comprehensive biological review conducted by the FWC staff.

Before the threatened designation is finalized, and the bears are officially taken of the list of threatened species, the FWC must adopt a bear management plan. Once complete, the move will give the FWC greater flexibility and more management options in dealing with the state’s growing bear population. This could include allowing bear hunting as a management tool.

The FWC’s black bear study found that the species no longer met any of the criteria required to remain on the state’s threatened list. It also found bear numbers in the state have increased for the past 24 years and continue to increase, that bears are widely distributed throughout the state, and that current bear populations are sustainable.

“USSA and its members strongly support science-based wildlife management and conservation,” said Walter “Bud” Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “We applaud the Commission for relying on these principles when reviewing the bears’ status instead of succumbing to emotional rhetoric from animal rights activists.”

Animal rights groups have long sought to disrupt the ability of the FWC to manage Florida’s bear population. In 2006, a lawsuit brought by the Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, the Fund for Animals among others, sought to take management authority away from the state by having the bears listed on the federal Endangered Species List. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, along with the Central Florida Bear Hunter’s Association, Safari Club International and others intervened in the lawsuit and were successful at stopping this attempt to usurp state wildlife management.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- He’s a heavyweight from northern Arkansas. He’s dark and mysterious. He’ll eat just about anything, and he’s being seen more and more around the Show-Me State.

His name is Ursus americanus, but you probably know him better as the black bear. One of the state’s largest wild mammals, black bears have been seen in more than half of Missouri’s counties, though most are south of the Missouri River. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), black-bear sightings and numbers are growing in Missouri.

Black bears are native to Missouri, but the species was nearly eliminated from the state by 1940 due to unregulated hunting and habitat changes. Recent data indicate that a few of Missouri’s native bears might have survived. However, the growth of Missouri’s bear population in recent years probably is largely a result of a successful black-bear restoration effort by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in the 1960s.

According to MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, black bears are a significant part of the native ecosystem and are an indicator of the state’s wilderness habitat quality.

A fed bear is a dead bear
A growing bear population calls for caution from campers and landowners, who are most likely to encounter bears. Black bears generally are dangerous only when they lose their natural fear of people. This usually results from access to human food. A bear that associates people with food is at risk for aggressive behavior, which could result in euthanasia.

“The most important thing is that landowners and campers don’t give bears access to food or garbage,” Beringer said. “If you never let a bear get started, you won’t have a problem with them.”

Campers can avoid problems with bears by keeping a clean camp, avoiding food scents, and never feeding or approaching bears. If you encounter a bear while camping, you should try to scare the bear away by banging pots and pans or making other noise and waving your arms. If you see a bear while hiking or fishing, you should back away slowly, speaking in a normal voice and making no sudden movements.

Although bear attacks are extremely rare, if you find yourself in this situation you should fight back with any available weapons – sticks, stones, knives or even fists – striking the bear especially around the face.

“Bears are generally afraid of people. If you do have an encounter with a bear, you want to make it a negative experience for that animal,” Beringer recommended.

Black Bear Research
In fall 2010, MDC began a cooperative study with the University of Missouri and the University of Mississippi to learn more about black bears in the state and how to manage them. The project involves trapping and radio-collaring bears and gathering hair samples for DNA testing. Information gathered in this will allow researchers to determine individual animals’ size and growth rates, population size, sex ratio, genetic diversity, habitat preferences, daily and seasonal movement patterns, denning dates, reproduction and survival rates. Trapping and radio-collaring will continue through this fall.

Beringer said citizens can play an important role in the ongoing bear research project by immediately reporting all bear sightings. Such reports enable researchers to focus their efforts on areas of known bear activity.

If you see a black bear, report it by visiting www.MissouriConservation.org and searching “Report a Bear Sighting.”

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Environmental Protection has released a new film documentary and companion school curriculum as part of its continuing effort to educate New Jersey residents about co-existing with black bears as numbers of the animals have increased, resulting in more bear-human encounters.

More than four years in the making, the documentary entitled “Living with New Jersey Black Bears” was developed with scientific input from New Jersey wildlife experts. The end result is a comprehensive and up-to-date educational film to help the public better understand and co-exist with black bears by taking viewers into the world of the black bear and to see how the State manages its bear population.

The 60-minute documentary, created by wildlife film producer Dan Bertalan, explores the growing national conflict of sharing the landscape with black bear populations, and offers a special 15-minute segment uniquely devoted to the issue of black bears in New Jersey.

“Understanding Black Bears,” which is an adapted and expanded classroom version of the documentary, also is now available. This new interactive classroom curriculum covers 11 topics with 29 separate classroom activities and will be distributed free to interested school systems and teachers.

These new tools are part of the State’s educational portion of its Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, which was approved last year to deal with an overpopulation of black bears in the Northwest part of the State, and a growing presence of black bears throughout the rest of New Jersey

“Black bears are part of the wide ranging mix of wildlife that lives in our state, providing an incredible diversity that requires consistent and professional management by our fish and wildlife experts,” said Amy Cradic, the DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources. “The science- and fact-based comprehensive black bear policy recognizes that bear management requires a combination of tools, including public education and scientific research.

“This new film and curriculum will provide an important tool in helping our residents learn to co-exist with black bears and to better understand the complex nature of the job faced by our top-notch wildlife team,” said Assistant Commissioner Cradic.

The black bear policy includes public education, research, bear habitat analysis and protection, hunting, non-lethal bear management techniques, enforcement of laws, and efforts to keep human food sources, especially household trash, away from bears to limit bear-human encounters.

New Jersey boasts a robust black bear population, estimated at more than 3,400 bears in the northwestern part of the State. Bears sightings have been reported in all 21 counties. Sightings have increased in recent years in many suburban towns and even urban areas.

With New Jersey’s black bear and human populations at all time highs, bear-human conflicts have risen during the last decade. They range from simple nuisance bears foraging in residential trash cans or invading backyard bird feeders to the problem of bears losing their fear of humans, which poses a safety threat to people and can have fatal result for bears.

“It’s rewarding using the impact of this documentary to help turn a controversy into a win-win situation,” said Bertalan, the documentary’s producer. “The bears win because people can learn how to avoid things that might result in their destruction. People win because they learn to appreciate this remarkable creature that is a symbol of a healthy and balanced environment.”

“Living with New Jersey Black Bears” and the “Understanding Black Bears” curriculum was jointly financed by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildife in partnership with state government fish and wildlife agencies in New York, Florida and Arkansas, plus the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. They are available to interested schools or organizations by contacting Michelle Smith at (609) 259-6961, or email michelle.smith@dep.state.nj.us.

For more information on the State’s black bear population, and to view the State’s Comprehensive Black Bear Management policy, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Northeast Region officials today announced a black bear that had become habituated to being hand-fed by people at Merli-Sarnoski Park, Carbondale, Lackawanna County, was euthanized by agency officers Saturday, June 4, because of escalating concern over public safety.

“Removing this bear is most unfortunate, but necessary given this particular bear’s habituation to approaching people for food,” said Steve Schweitzer, Game Commission Northeast Region Office director.

“Black bears have a natural instinct to avoid humans. A habituated bear that has lost its natural fear of humans and begins to associate people with providing food is the type of bear we do not want in the resident bear population. It would be irresponsible not to remove such a bear after we observed the bear repeatedly confronting people to obtain food. That is why wildlife officials across North America warn that ‘a fed bear is a dead bear.’”

A few weeks ago, the Game Commission Northeast Region Office was made aware of a bear visiting the beach and picnic area of the park, rummaging through garbage cans looking for easy meals. During this time, people began feeding the bear, including some fishermen who tossed bluegills or perch to the bear.

“Bears are intelligent animals, and this one was no exception,” Schweitzer said. “Within days, the bear quickly learned to connect people with food. Soon the distance between bear and humans went from yards to feet to finally inches. The most recent reports were that some individuals were hand-feeding the bear.

“Pictures of the hand-feeding were sent to the Game Commission by a concerned citizen. We had pictures of a young man lying on the ground literally within inches of this bear. Another showed the bear standing on top of a picnic table while people sat at the table.”

Based on this information and photos, a Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) was dispatched to the scene. Arriving at the park after closing hours, the WCO found the bear in the picnic area.

“After trying to chase the bear from the area, the WCO decided a more aggressive approach was needed and fired non-lethal rubber buckshot from his shotgun, striking the animal twice,” Schweitzer said. “The effect of the buckshot was positive, causing the animal to run into the woods. However, its dispersal was only temporary and calls from the park personnel began to come in about the animal being back. Efforts to stop the human behavior that lead to this situation, or trap the bear for relocation, were unsuccessful while reports of the bear approaching people continued, so the only prudent thing left to do was to remove the animal.”

The bear, a 75-pound male, appeared to be in excellent physical condition, and had most likely been chased away by an adult female in preparation for this summer’s breeding season.

“Despite the bear’s apparent young age, there still remained a potential for future conflicts once this unwanted behavior became established,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist. “Had this bear not been removed, any subsequent encounters with people may have been perceived as an opportunity to gain food based on its conditioning.”

Since 2003, it has been illegal to intentionally feed black bears in Pennsylvania. The feeding ban was put in place to avoid habituating black bears and to prevent situations in which an individual feeding bears creates a nuisance situation for his or her neighbors. Additionally, the unintentional feeding of bears can result in a written warning that, if ignored, can result in a citation for subsequent offenses. Anyone cited for illegally feeding a bear is subject to a fine of $100 to $200, if convicted.

“Unfortunately, this bear ended up in the wrong area among people who did not respect it,” Schweitzer said. “We have been steadfast in our message, year after year, that feeding wildlife, especially black bears, will only end in trouble. A black bear, regardless of its size, is a very powerful animal that can turn a seemingly innocent encounter into a serious situation.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear in the Iberia and Vermilion Parish area.

LDWF agents found a black bear skin and its decapitated head on May 19 off of Daniel Lane near a new subdivision in New Iberia.

Agents believe this bear’s skin and head are in connection to an illegally killed black bear that was reported through a public tip over a year ago in the Iberia and Vermilion Parish area. The public’s tip indicated someone had shot a black bear and then skinned and stored the bear in a fashion to mount it in the future.

The bear had been apart of LDWF’s black bear program and was first tagged in 2000 when it was estimated to be six years old. The passive integrated transponder implanted during the initial capture was left in the hide when the bear was skinned and provided positive identification. LDWF had never received a nuisance call about this older male bear that lived mostly in the Weeks Island area of lower Iberia Parish.

“This is a real shame that someone felt compelled to poach this bear during a time when we are trying our best to restore the Louisiana black bear to a sustainable population,” said Maria Davidson, Large Carnivore Program Manager for LDWF.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing or any other wildlife crime should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Cash rewards up to $5,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a black bear. Callers will also remain anonymous.

“We urge anybody with information about this case to come forward so that we can catch the person responsible for this crime,” said Lt. Col. Joey Broussard. “It is believed that the person that dumped these remains of the bear was scared of being caught and thus got rid of the evidence. We are hopeful that through the public’s help and our existing evidence that we can solve this case.”

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a civil restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

Easily accessible garbage is irresistible to a hungry black bear and unfortunately, a major threat to its survival.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- Add bear-proof the garbage to your spring cleaning list and feel good about taking the first step in resolving human-bear conflicts.

Easily accessible garbage is irresistible to a hungry black bear and unfortunately, a major threat to its survival.

By bear-proofing your garbage, you’ll not only keep your yard tidy, but more importantly, you’ll add years to the lives of some of Georgia’s magnificent wild black bears.

“Bears become habituated when people feed them – whether intentional or not. When a bear learns that it can get a ‘free meal’ from garbage, it’s going to return again and again until eventually it loses its natural fear of humans. This is how many human-bear conflicts begin and the bear becomes labeled a nuisance,” explains Adam Hammond, wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.

Homeowners and business owners in known bear areas can be proactive in lessening human-bear conflicts by taking the following important steps to secure their garbage.

• Convert to bear-proof garbage containers, or secure garbage inside a garage or other enclosed area.
• Place garbage cans at the curb on the day of pick-up rather than the night before. If there is no curbside pick-up in the area, take garbage to the nearest disposal site as soon as possible.
• In some cases, the installation of electric fences around garbage storage areas may be useful to prevent bears from accessing household garbage.
• Remove food scraps from grills and fire pits daily.
• Rinse food cans and wrappers before disposal. Keep garbage cans clean and deodorize them periodically.
• Concerning dumpsters: Install bear-proof dumpsters, attach reinforcing lids or install latch mechanisms.

Garbage is just one of the many non-natural food items that attract bears. Birdseed and pet food round out the top three most common types of attractants. Homeowners in known bear areas are advised to bring pet food indoors and remove birdfeeders during the spring and late summer.

In Georgia, there are three population centers for black bears. These include the North Georgia mountains, the Ocmuglee River drainage system in Central Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeastern part of the State. However, black bears can and do range over larger areas, especially in early spring and late summer when natural food sources are scarce. Young male bears also are known to roam larger areas in an effort to establish their own territory.

“The best and most effective way to resolve human-bear conflicts is to remove the attractant,” says Hammond. “In most cases, that simply means making trash, birdseed, pet food and other non-natural food items inaccessible.”

Though the American black bear (Ursus americanus) is now considered the most common bear in North America and the only bear found in Georgia, at one point the species was nearly eradicated from the state due to poaching and habitat loss. Yet because of sound wildlife management practices, Georgia’s current black bear population is healthy and thriving and is estimated at approximately 5,100 bears statewide.

For more information regarding black bears, visit www.georgiawildlife.com, contact a Wildlife Resources Division Game Management office or call (770) 918-6416. The public also can visit their local library to check out a copy of an informational DVD entitled, “Where Bears Belong: Black Bears in Georgia.”

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- According to official 2010 bear harvest figures released today by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunters took a total of 3,090, which included 269 bears during the first-ever, five-day statewide archery bear season and 2,821 bears during the statewide three-day season, which included a Saturday-opener.

This harvest ranks fifth among Pennsylvania’s annual bear harvests. In 2005, hunters set a record harvest of 4,164 bears. Other recent harvests were: 3,512 in 2009; 3,458 in 2008; 2,360 in 2007; 3,122 in 2006; 2,972 in 2004; 3,000 in 2003; 2,686 in 2002; 3,063 in 2001; and 3,075 in 2000.

In all, 11 bears taken by hunters weighed 600 pounds or more, further illustrating Pennsylvania’s status as a major bear hunting destination.

The bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) for both seasons (archery and 3-day), including 2009’s harvest results in parentheses, were: WMU 1A, 11 (8); WMU 1B, 42 (36); WMU 2A, 1 (0); WMU 2C, 307 (247); WMU 2D, 146 (128); WMU 2E, 94 (77); WMU 2F, 202 (282); WMU 2G, 894 (1,027); WMU 3A, 199 (255); WMU 3B, 234 (292); WMU 3C, 118 (73); WMU 3D, 284 (276); WMU 4A, 135 (125); WMU 4B, 55 (43); WMU 4C, 90 (141); WMU 4D, 245 (442); WMU 4E, 31 (58); and WMU 5C, 2 (1).

Bears were taken in 54 counties. In 2008 and 2009, bears were taken in 54 counties and, in 49 counties in 2007. Harvest by county and region, with 2009’s figure in parenthesis, were:

Northwest: Venango, 57 (33); Warren, 54 (101); Clarion, 49 (48); Forest, 47 (60); Jefferson, 34 (59); Crawford, 10 (8); Butler, 12 (13); Mercer, 2 (3); and Erie, 3 (0).

Southwest: Fayette, 101 (72); Somerset, 83 (72); Westmoreland, 62 (65); Armstrong, 56 (44); Indiana, 43 (33); and Cambria, 18 (19).

Northcentral: Clinton, 250 (295); Lycoming, 230 (280); Tioga, 184 (217); Clearfield, 182 (135); Potter, 148 (181); Cameron, 138 (214); Centre, 119 (148); McKean, 92 (142); Elk, 89 (121); and Union, 46 (51).

Southcentral: Huntingdon, 95 (110); Bedford, 84 (65); Mifflin, 43 (64); Blair, 31 (44); Juniata, 19 (33); Snyder, 19 (23); Perry, 17 (8); Fulton, 11 (16); Franklin, 8 (5); and Cumberland, 1 (0).

Northeast: Pike, 134 (117); Wayne, 93 (49); Monroe, 69 (77); Luzerne, 58 (56); Sullivan, 57 (68); Susquehanna, 41 (30); Bradford, 38 (74); Carbon, 35 (66); Wyoming, 22 (44); Lackawanna, 19 (32); Columbia, 20 (27); Northumberland, 3 (6); and Montour, 1 (1).

Southeast: Schuylkill, 27 (37); Dauphin, 20 (24); Lebanon, 7 (8); Berks, 2 (7); and Northampton, 7 (5).

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- As spring has sprung, many Pennsylvanians soon will be spending more time outdoors and seeing more wildlife – and signs of wildlife – in their yards and other places they frequent.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials remind residents that among the wildlife that will become more visible are Pennsylvania’s roughly 18,000 black bears, all of which will be looking for food.

“After several months of hibernation, sightings of bears will be to increase as spring progresses,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission black bear biologist. “Food for bears is naturally scarce in early spring until green-up. So some bears emerging from dens may be attracted to other food sources found near people, setting the stage for nuisance bear problems.

“However, bears that wander near residential areas in search of food are less likely to stay or return if they do not find anything rewarding. Conversely, if bears find food in backyards, they quickly learn to associate food with residential areas and begin to spend more time in those areas. As a result, encounters between humans and bears, property damage and vehicle accidents involving bears may increase.”

Ternent noted that taking action now to avoid attracting or keeping bears close to residential areas can help prevent bears from becoming even more of a nuisance later in the summer.

“Those who have been feeding birds this winter should plan to stop, or at least curtail, their feeding,” Ternent said. “Anything edible placed outside for any reason – whether it is food for wildlife or pets or unsecured garbage – gives bears a reason to visit your property.

“If denied the easy access to food, bears generally will move on. It is important to remember that attempting to trap and move bears that have become habituated to humans can be a costly and sometimes ineffective way of addressing the problem. That is why wildlife agencies around the country tell people that a ‘fed bear is a dead bear.’”

Ternent listed five suggestions that could prevent attracting bears to a property:

• Play it smart. Do not feed wildlife. Food placed outside for wildlife, such as corn for squirrels, may attract bears. Even bird feeders can become “bear magnets.” Bear conflicts with bird feeding generally don’t arise in the winter because bears are in their winter dens. But at other times of the year, birdfeeders will attract problem bears. If you do chose to feed songbirds during the summer, Audubon Pennsylvania offers some tips, including: avoid foods that are particularly attractive for bears, such as sunflower seeds, hummingbird nectar mixes or suet; bring feeders inside at night; or suspend feeders from high crosswires so they are at least 10 feet above the ground and four feet from anything a bear can climb, including overhead limbs.
• Keep it clean. Don’t put out garbage until pick-up day; don’t throw table scraps out back; don’t add fruit or vegetable wastes to your compost pile; and clean your barbecue grill regularly. If you have pets and feed them outdoors, consider placing food dishes inside overnight. Encourage your neighbors to do the same.
• Keep your distance. If a bear shows up in your backyard, stay calm. Shout at it like you would to chase an unwanted dog. Don’t approach it. If the bear won’t leave, call the nearest Game Commission regional office or local police department for assistance.
• Eliminate temptation. Bears that visit your area are often drawn there. Neighbors need to work together to reduce an area’s appeal to bears. Ask area businesses to keep dumpsters closed and bear-proofed (chained or locked shut with a metal lid).

Check please! If your dog is barking, or cat is clawing at the door to get in, try to determine what has alarmed your pet. But do it cautiously, using outside lights to full advantage and from a safe position. All unrecognizable outside noises and disturbances should be checked, but don’t do it on foot with a flashlight. Black bears blend in too well with nighttime surroundings providing the chance for a close encounter.

Pennsylvanians also are reminded that if they see cubs alone, it does not necessarily mean they have been abandoned or orphaned.

“During the spring, sows may leave their cubs for several hours, typically up in a tree, while they forage,” Ternent said. “If you encounter cubs, leave the area the way you entered it and leave the cubs alone. Staying in the vicinity prevents the mother from returning, and attempting to care for the cubs is illegal and may result in exposure to wildlife diseases or habituate the young bears to humans.

“Cubs that have been removed from the wild and habituated to people are difficult to rehabilitate for release back into the wild and may result in the cub being euthanized.”

Ternent noted that, as a result of Pennsylvania’s large human and bear populations, it is not uncommon for people and bears to encounter one another.

“Bears needn’t be feared, nor should they be dismissed as harmless; but they should be respected,” Ternent said. “In the past 10 years fewer than 20 people have been injured by bears in Pennsylvania, and there are no known records of a Pennsylvania black bear killing a human.

“Injury from a black bear is often the result of a human intentionally or unintentionally threatening a bear, its cubs, or a nearby food source, and the best reaction is to defuse the threat by leaving the area in a quiet, calm manner.”

Ternent also advised:

• Stay Calm. If you see a bear and it hasn’t seen you, leave the area calmly. Talk or make noise while moving away to help it discover your presence. Choose a route that will not intersect with the bear if it is moving.
• Get Back. If you have surprised a bear, slowly back away while talking softly. Face the bear, but avoid direct eye contact. Do not turn and run; rapid movement may be perceived as danger to a bear that is already feeling threatened. Avoid blocking the bear’s only escape route and try to move away from any cubs you see or hear. Do not attempt to climb a tree. A female bear may falsely interpret this as an attempt to get at her cubs, even though the cubs may be in a different tree.
• Pay Attention. If a bear is displaying signs of nervousness – pacing, swinging its head, or popping its jaws – about your presence, leave the area. Some bears may bluff charge to within a few feet. If this occurs, stand your ground, wave your arms wildly, and shout at the bear. Turning and running could elicit a chase and you cannot outrun a bear.
• Fight Back. If a bear attacks, fight back as you continue to leave the area. Black bears have been driven away with rocks, sticks, binoculars, car keys, or even bare hands.

“Learning about bears and being aware of their habits is a responsibility that comes with living in rural and suburban Pennsylvania or recreating in the outdoors,” Ternent said.

In 2003, a regulation prohibiting the feeding of bears went into effect. The regulation made it unlawful to intentionally “lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause bears to congregate or habituate an area.” The exceptions to this regulation are “normal or accepted farming, habitat management practices, oil and gas drilling, mining, forest management activities or other legitimate commercial or industrial practices.”

The regulation enables Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) to issue written notices that direct landowners to discontinue wildlife feeding, even if not intended for bears, including songbird feeding, if the feeding is attracting bears to the area and causing problems with bears nearby.

To report nuisance bears, contact the Game Commission Region Office nearest you. The telephone numbers are: Northwest Region Office in Franklin, Venango County, 814-432-3188; Southwest Region Office in Bolivar, Westmoreland County, 724-238-9523; Northcentral Region Office in Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, 570-398-4744; Southcentral Region Office in Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, 814-643-1831; Northeast Region Office in Dallas, Luzerne County, 570-675-1143; and Southeast Region Office in Reading, Berks County, 610-926-3136.

More information on bears is available on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by putting your cursor on “HUNT/TRAP” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, clicking on the “Hunting” in the drop-down menu listing and clicking on “Black Bears” in the “Big Game” section.

Bear Season

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- West Virginia hunters harvested a record 2,392 black bears during the combined 2010 archery and firearms seasons, according to Paul Johansen, Assistant Chief in charge of Game Management for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

The preliminary harvest data for the combined seasons in 2010 was 14 percent higher than the previous record of 2,069 established in 2008.

“As predicted in the 2010 Hunting Outlook, mast conditions had a tremendous influence on this year’s record bear harvest,” said Johansen.

“Traditionally, favorable mast conditions lead to lower archery harvests. However, abundant food sources kept many bears active into early winter. In addition, there were numerous counties opened to extended hunting seasons designed to help those counties reach management objectives.”

Hunters took 454 bears during the 2010 archery season. The top five counties were Randolph (44), Preston (39), Webster (38), Fayette (33) and Nicholas (25).

Firearms hunters took a record harvest of 1,938 bears during 2010. Hunters took 462 bears in September, 309 during the concurrent buck/bear season and 1,167 during the traditional December season. Top five counties were Greenbrier (219), Pendleton (192), Randolph (190), Pocahontas (175) and Webster (135).

…

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- I’ve received a lot of feedback on the “50 Reasons a Black Bear Hunt is Needed in NJ” action alert that was posted earlier.

It’s good to see that people find the issue engaging.

There are a number or reasons that justify the need for a bear hunt in New Jersey. Of course, public safety is paramount. The fact that black bears have a history of fatal attacks is evidence that it is an aspect of their nature that we can’t ignore, regardless of the frequency of attacks or where in North America they are reported to have occurred.

There are any numbers of causes for a black bear to attack; environmental, physical, bio/chemical, territorial or some other reason. There doesn’t appear to be answer we can rely on, any more than why humans attack other humans. Bears are wild creatures and this lends itself to an element of unpredictability.

Perhaps the fact that NJ had less than 100 bears in the 1970s and only a few hundred in the early 1990s has helped to keep a safe distance between people and bears. Today the estimate is nearly 3500 bears, most of which are in the northwest portion of the state. Bears have been seen in all 21 NJ counties. The number of reported incidents that threaten human safety has doubled since 2005. Bears are breaking into homes, causing school lockdowns, killing pets, killing livestock, have been found swimming in backyard pools and one even scattered a parade in northern NJ. There have even been reports of black bears attacking a few people this year. The details of these encounters have been reported in the press.

The point is that a bear hunt will HELP to prevent a NJ resident from being added to the Fatal Attack List by reducing the bear population and freeing up space for bears to recede into the wilds. Keep in mind that although it is natural for even habituated bears to avoid humans there have been instances of attacks on humans by bears that were regarded as habituated or “nuisance” bears.

For those of you who want to read more about the need for a bear hunt from a conservation perspective I welcome you read an article on my blog. Just click on the link that follows:

http://anthonypmaurosr.webs.com/apps/blog/show/5318932-a-bear-hunt-in-nj-is-a-good-thing

Some of you requested the link I used as source. I invite you to look at the link and then scroll to the very bottom to read the sources that are referenced. While you’re at the site, please note that bear attacks have increased dramatically during the past 20 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

Thanks

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

New Jersey Bear Conflicts

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- New Jersey is primed to hold its first black bear hunt in years.

Here is a short list of reasons NJ needs to hold this pro conservation bear hunt.

1. Public safety

Fatal black bear attacks in North America

Name, Age at Death, Gender

2. Ester Schwimmer, 5 months, female
3. Brent Kandra, 24, male
4. Glenda Ann Bradley, 50, female
5. Mary Beth Miller, 24, female
6. Kyle Harry, 18, male
7. Adelia Maestras Trujillo, 93, female
8. Christopher Bayduza, 31, male
9. Maurice Malenfant, 77, male
10. Merlyn Carter, 71, male
11. Harvey Robinson, 69, male
12. Jacqueline Perry, 30, female
13. Elora Petrasek, 6, female
14. Samuel Evan Ives, 11, male
15. Robin Kochorek, 31, female
16. Cecile Lavoie, 70, female
17. Donna Munson, 74, female
18. Kelly Ann Walz, 37, female
19. James Waddell, 12, male
20. Raymond Jakubauskas, 32, male;
21. Carola Frehe, 48, female
22. Sebastien Lauzier, 20, male
23. Darcy Staver, 33, female
24. Colin McClelland, 24, male
25. Sevend “Sven” Satre, 53, male
26. Raymond Kitchen, 56, male
27. Patti McConnell, 37, female
28. David Anderson, 12, male
29. Melvin Rudd, 55, male
30. Lee Randal Morris, 44, male;
31. Carol Marshall, 24, female
32. John Richardson, 31, male
33. Victoria Valdez, 4, female
34. George Halfkenny, 16, male
35. Mark Halfkenny, 12, male
36. Billy Rhindress, 15, male
37. Phyllis Tremper, 3, female
38. Robert Huckins, 18, male
39. Barbara Coates, 7, female
40. Carl Herrick, 37, male
41. Carol Ann Pomeranky, 3, female
42. Emerson Joyce, 60, male
43. Grant Taylor, 11, male
44. George Langley, 55, male,
45. James Virtue, 68, male
46. Mary Porterfield, 3, female
47. Wilie Portfield, 5, male
48. Henry Porterfield, 7, male
49. Laird, 1, ?
50. John Robinson, ?, male

\Please help prevent a fatal black bear attack in New Jersey. Help keep New Jersey’s record at zero fatalities. Support the bear hunt. A hunt is both responsible, necessary and supported by research. It’s a matter of public safety. Call the Governor at 609-292-6000 and thank him for his leadership in supporting a hunt.
(source for black bear fatalities: Wikipedia)

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

Remington Buck Hammer Ammunition

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials point out that one of the biggest mistakes bear hunters make is failing to locate areas with good fall food supplies – acorns, beechnuts, apples, corn – before the hunting season and overlooking areas of dense cover where bears like to hide.

“Signs to look for while scouting include droppings; bedding areas, which are scratched out depressions, usually at the base of a tree or log; and active trails with tracks,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission black bear biologist.

“In beech stands, look for fresh claw marks on tree trunks indicating that bears are feeding in the area, and in oak stands look for fresh droppings that are almost completely composed of acorns bits. Either of these signs suggests bears are feeding nearby and, if food conditions are right, they will likely still be there come hunting season. A good time to scout is early November, so you can assess local mast conditions.”

Other bear hunting tips include:

• Look for bears in the thickest cover you can find, such as: swamps and bogs, mountain laurel/rhododendron thickets, north-facing slopes, regenerating timber-harvest areas, wind-blown areas with lots of downed trees, and remote sections of river bottoms. Bigger bears are notorious for holding in thick cover, even when hunters pass nearby.
• Organized drives are effective. Hunters working together often increase their odds of taking bears, especially those bears holding out in thick cover. Develop plans to safely drive likely bear hideouts and follow them to the letter. A minor slip-up by a driver, flanker or stander is all a bear needs to elude even the best-planned drive. Regulations limit the size of organized drives to 25 people or less.
• Hunting on-stand early and late in the day gives hunters a great chance to catch bears traveling to and from feeding and bedding areas. Hunt areas that provide cover to traveling bears and ensure there is either a good supply of mast or cornfields or cover near where you plan to hunt.
• Use the wind to your advantage. If a bear gets a whiff of you, you’re busted as a hunter. Bears have an outstanding sense of smell. They often let their noses guide the way as they travel. Always place yourself downwind of expected travel lanes when hunting on-stand or driving. Bears are cagey enough without giving them more advantages.
• Stay focused and assume nothing. Black bears blend in well in forest settings at dawn and as dusk approaches. Spend too much time looking one way and you can miss a bear. Even though bears are quite heavy, they often are surprisingly quiet moving through the forest. You may see a bear before you hear it coming. Staying alert and remaining vigilant are critical.

BEAR HUNTING BULLETS

• A bear license is required to participate in any bear season.
• Only one bear may be harvested per license year from all seasons combined.
• A hunter who harvests a bear must complete all information on his or her bear harvest tag and attach it to the ear of the animal immediately after harvest and before the carcass is moved. In addition, within 24 hours, hunters who kill a bear must take it, along with their general hunting and bear licenses, to a Game Commission check station for examination. Bear check stations are maintained at the agency’s six regional offices and at other locations listed on page 38 in the 2010-11 Hunting and Trapping Digest.
• Once a hunter has used his or her bear harvest tag, it is unlawful to possess it in the field. Also, hunters are reminded to remove old licenses from their holder before placing a new one in it. If you keep an old license in the holder, you may accidentally use it to tag big game and unintentionally violate the law.
• It is unlawful to kill a bear in a den; use a radio to locate a bear that has a radio transmitter attached to it; hunt in areas where artificial or natural bait, hay, grain, fruit, nuts, salt, chemicals, minerals, including residue or other foods are used, or have been used, as an enticement to lure wildlife within the past 30 days; use scents or lures; pursue bears with dogs; or to hunt bears in a party of more than 25 persons.
• - During the regular bear season, hunters are required to wear at all times 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on their head, chest and back combined, visible 360 degrees, while hunting in either of the black bear firearms seasons. In WMUs where the archery bear season and fall wild turkey season run concurrently, bowhunters, when moving, are required to wear a hat containing 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange. The hat may be removed when the hunter is stationary or on stand.
• Bears may be hunted with: manually-operated center-fire rifles, handguns and shotguns with an all-lead bullet or ball, or a bullet designed to expand on impact – buckshot is illegal; muzzle-loading long guns 44-caliber or larger; long, recurve or compound bows or crossbows with broadheads of cutting-edge design. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds. Also, crossbows are legal for the archery bear season.
• It is unlawful to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemicals, salt or other minerals that may cause bears to congregate or habituate in an area.

Black Bears

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania bear hunters will be able to enjoy a full-week of archery bear season (Nov. 15-19), followed by a Saturday opener of the three-day firearms bear season, which will run Nov. 20, and the following Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 22 and 23, according to Carl G. Roe, Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director.

“Pennsylvania’s bear population covers more than three-quarters of the state, and includes a number of world-class trophy bears,” Roe said. “This has earned Pennsylvania recognition as one of the top states for bear hunters. Every year, we have a number of bears exceeding 500 pounds included in the harvest.”

Since 1992, six bears with an estimated live weight of 800 pounds or more have been taken in Pennsylvania. The possibility of another 800-pounder being taken by a hunter is always in play when Pennsylvania’s bear season opens.

In 2009, the largest bear taken was a 668-pound (estimated live weight) male taken in Jefferson Township, Dauphin County, by Edward Bechtel, of Lykens, on Dec. 3. In all, 13 bears taken by hunters weighed 600 pounds or more, further illustrating Pennsylvania’s status as a major bear hunting destination.

The 2009 bear harvest of 3,512 is second only to the 2005 bear harvest, in which hunters took a record 4,164 bears. Other recent harvests were: 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002; 3,000 in 2003; 2,972 in 2004; 3,122 in 2006; 2,360 in 2007; and 3,458 in 2008. Over the past ten years, hunters have taken more black bears than in any other decade since the Game Commission began keeping bear harvest records in 1915.

“Conditions this year are favorable for another record harvest,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission black bear biologist. “Bear populations are up in many parts of the state relative to past years; hunter participation is expected to be good, based on the number of bear licenses being purchased; and acorns are plentiful, which tends to keep bears out of dens and active through the fall hunting season. The only unknown is if we will have favorable weather for hunters on opening day.

“Weather can have a huge impact on the season’s outcome, but so can fall food conditions. However, our fall food surveys indicate that acorn production is exceptional over large parts of Pennsylvania this year. But, even with good food conditions, pre-season scouting will still be important.”

Bears were taken in 54 counties last year, which was the same as 2008, but an increase from 2007, when bears were taken in 49 counties. The state’s top five counties — all from the Northcentral Region – along with the 2008’s harvest results in parentheses, were: Clinton, 295 (139); Lycoming, 280 (252); Tioga, 217 (236); Cameron, 214 (75); and Potter, 181 (294).

The total bear harvest by WMU for 2009, including 2008’s harvest results in parentheses, were: WMU 1A, 8 (21); WMU 1B, 36 (67); WMU 2C, 247 (227); WMU 2D, 128 (166); WMU 2E, 77 (117); WMU 2F, 282 (246); WMU 2G, 1,027 (729); WMU 3A, 255 (313); WMU 3B, 292 (392); WMU 3C, 73 (177); WMU 3D, 276 (199); WMU 4A, 125 (145); WMU 4B, 43 (43); WMU 4C, 141 (105); WMU 4D, 442 (456); WMU 4E, 58 (53); WMU 5B, 1 (0); and WMU 5C, 1 (1).

Hunters will need to have a general hunting license and a bear license. Bear licenses are not part of the junior or senior combination licenses, and must be purchased separately.

All hunters who harvest a bear must immediately tag it with their field harvest tag that is part of the bear license, and, if during the statewide three-day season, transport the carcass – minus entrails – to one of the Game Commission bear check stations within 24 hours, and present it along with their general hunting license and bear license. During the archery season, hunters should contact a PGC region office within 24 hours to have their bear checked.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, MD --(Ammoland.com)- OAKLAND, Md. (October 30, 2010)— The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the conclusion of the 2010 black bear hunting season.

The season opened Monday, October 25 in Garrett and Allegany counties. The seventh Maryland bear hunt was officially closed at 9:00 p.m. with 67 bears reported to mandatory check stations in Western Maryland.

“The 2010 bear hunt was another unqualified success. Unseasonably mild weather made the first part of the season a challenge and kept hunter success low. Despite marginal conditions we safely reached another harvest quota while allowing the first five-day bear hunt in Maryland history,” said Harry Spiker, Game Mammal Section Leader for DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service

“The permit application preference point system proved effective again this year. More than 3,800 hunters applied for one of the 260 available bear hunting permits and 85% of the permits were awarded to applicants with one or more preference points,” Spiker added.

The average estimated live weight of the bears taken this year was 163 lbs. The largest bear of the season was a 433 lb. male taken by Joseph Schmidt of Oakland, Garrett County.

The hunt by the numbers:

• 67 bears taken
• 57 from Garrett County, 10 from Allegany County
• 163 lbs. average weight
• 72% of the bears were taken on private land
• 558 hunters participated in the hunt and 3,850 hunters applied for a permit
• 58% of the successful hunters were residents of Garrett and Allegany counties

For more information about Maryland’s black bears visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov

Bear Hunter Becky Brensinger

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters that the black bear permit lottery application period is now open and closes on October 30.

Applicants must have a current, valid NJ firearm hunting license to apply. Hunters who have not yet completed a Bear Hunting Education Seminar can apply for a permit but must have completed a seminar in order to claim an awarded permit or purchase an over-the-counter leftover permit.

For Bear Hunting Education Seminar information visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2010/bearseminarinfo.htm .

Application for permits can be made online at http://www.wildlifelicense.com/nj/ or at license agents. There is a $2.00 non-refundable permit application processing fee. Applications for all permits can be reviewed, and edited if wanted, on the license website. Once the permit application period closes the application cannot be changed. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that the application was made for the correct area.

The award notification and permit pickup period for black bear permits begins the week of November 15, 2010. Black bear permits awarded in the lottery will be held in reserve until the end of the season, December 11, 2010. Over-the-counter issuance of leftover permits begins on Monday, November 22 at 10:00 a.m. and will continue until the season ends or the permit quota is reached.

All permit issuances are final, with no exceptions.

For more information on the permit application and over-the-counter issuing process visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2010/lottery_info10.htm on the division’s website. For information on the bear season, as well as a zone map and descriptions, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearseas10.htm , also on the division’s site.

Montana Bear Conflicts

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) captured another garbage-conditioned black bear this week between Jackson and Van Buren Streets in Missoula’s Rattlesnake neighborhood.

This bear is one of an estimated five bears that FWP biologists say are being very persistent in their pursuit of garbage.

“There are a handful of bears right now that are attempting to enter garages and other buildings in their quest for food,” FWP Bear Management Specialist, James Jonkel, says. “These bears have tasted the garbage food reward enough that they are now going above and beyond to get more.”

Biologists captured the latest bear early Wednesday morning in a trap outside of a garage that the bear had broken into the night before. Because the bear had a prior history of problems with garbage and property damage and had already been relocated once, FWP euthanized the bear this week.

FWP first darted the bear in mid-September while it was feeding on a pile of garbage in Greenough Park. Biologists gave the bear an identifying ear tag and relocated it to a remote drainage in the upper Clark Fork east of Missoula, hoping it would stay focused on natural food sources and out of trouble. Instead, the bear was back to the Rattlesnake within the week and began getting into more trouble with neighborhood garbage.

Although relocation’s can work, Jonkel says, it is not unusual to see a bear return and continue getting into trouble. Bears that become conditioned to easy neighborhood food sources tend to become bolder and more aggressive towards humans, and often there is no alternative but to relocate or euthanize the offender.

“Once bears get that first taste of garbage they can be hooked on these tasty, easy treats,” Jonkel says. “Bears will often travel miles to get back to a garbage can, so the key is keeping a bear from getting that first taste; it can make all the difference in preventing bear problems and aggressive behavior.”

In recent weeks FWP has responded to numerous reports of bears in neighborhoods. Most bears are just feeding on fruit trees and moving on, but a group of bears have gotten a feel for the taste of garbage and are now exhibiting unacceptable behavior.

“Most residents have really been doing their part to keep garbage and other attractants put away,” Jonkel says. “We just have a few areas where garbage cans are staying out all week, and a few really persistent bears are getting bolder when presented with a temptation.”

The Missoula City Council adopted garbage rules and companion “bear buffer zones” to address some of these temptations. People who live in the Rattlesnake and other established buffer zones around Missoula need to keep their garbage in bear-resistant containers or enclosures or wait until at least 5 a.m. to put their regular trash cans out and pull them back inside by 9 p.m.

“Everyone should be diligent with keeping garbage and other attractants put away,” Jonkel says. “The best solution to bear problems is prevention.”

Fruit trees are also a major bear attractant right now, Jonkel says, and homeowners should harvest fruit as soon as it ripens.

Contact FWP at 406-542-5500 to learn more about how to minimize backyard bear attractants and what bear deterrent systems, such as bear-resistant garbage cans or electric fence kits, may be needed to keep attractants off-limits.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- With upland bird, archery and backcountry rifle seasons underway, hunters should be prepared for what to do in case of a bear encounter.

“This is the time of year when bears are in a constant search for food before winter, and hunters should be extra careful, particularly in areas with dense cover where you can surprise a bear at close range,” said James Jonkel, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Bear Management Specialist.

Hunting is a prime time to encounter a bear.

Hunters should follow these tips in bear country:

• Always carry bear spray, have it close at hand and know how to use it.
• Hunt with a partner or let someone know your plans and periodically check in.
• When field dressing the carcass, keep your can of bear spray within easy reach.
• Get harvested game out of the woods quickly.
• Carry a lightweight tarp or space blanket to put the entails on and pull them well away from the carcass and then cover the carcass with the tarp to reduce the scent, if the carcass is left unattended.
• When returning to a site where harvested game is left unattended, study the site at a distance for any movement or changes and signal your approach by making plenty of noise.
• Do not attempt to frighten or haze a bear from a carcass.

If a bear finds a carcass unattended and is eating it or has covered it with debris and it is not salvageable, contact FWP.

For more on black bears, got to the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov on the Wild Things page and click on Living With Wildlife.

A “How to Hunt Safely in Grizzly Country” brochure is also available at FWP regional offices.

Montana 2010 Black Bear Regulations

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) biologists and field assistants captured and moved three grizzly bears and multiple black bears in western Montana’s Region 2 this month.

On September 11, FWP captured an adult male grizzly bear in the Woodworth Road area south of Seeley Lake. This bear was habituated to visiting residential areas and had become too comfortable grazing and spending time in close proximity to children and others. The grizzly was taken to a research facility at Washington State University in Pullman, WA.

Another female grizzly bear and her cub were captured on September 14 north of Seeley Lake. These bears were routinely searching out chicken feed as well as visiting porches and entering buildings looking for garbage, birdseed and grain. Because they were conditioned to unnatural food sources, these grizzlies could not be released back into the wild and were transported to the Tulsa, Oklahoma Zoo.

Since the first of September, FWP staff has also trapped four black bears in the Missoula area and many additional bears in other western Montana communities. FWP relocated three of the bears captured in Missoula to remote mountain areas around western Montana and took one cub to the FWP animal rehabilitation center in Helena to be held until it can be released in the spring.

In addition, a sub-adult male grizzly and two other grizzly bear cubs were killed along the highways in the Blackfoot-Clearwater drainage in August and September, and FWP continues to receive reports of other grizzlies and black bears crossing roads and neighborhoods across western Montana.

“The conflicts have increased dramatically over the past few weeks,” FWP Region 2 Bear Management Specialist, James Jonkel said. “Bears are in a period of intense eating before the winter season and they’re coming down into the valleys near communities and roadways looking for natural food, but they sometimes find easier sources like garbage and chicken coops along the way.”

When bears show up looking for food and receive food rewards in the form of pet and livestock food, bird feeders, and garbage left outdoors, they become conditioned and continue to return to those same areas.
Jonkel said that these bears tend to become bolder and more aggressive towards humans, and often there is no alternative but to relocate or euthanize the offender.

FWP is currently working to trap a few bears in Missoula’s Rattlesnake neighborhood that are food conditioned and chronically getting into unnatural food sources. Jonkel says that neighborhood residents should be commended for their work in keeping attractants contained but that they need to stay diligent through the fall.

“The best solution is prevention,” Jonkel said. “As a property owner, the most important thing to remember is to minimize bear attractants.”

Specifically, Jonkel reminds residents to keep garbage stored inside stout buildings or in a bear-resistant container until the day of collection, take down bird feeders until December and make sure chickens and feed are in a secure building or surrounded by an electric fence.

Fruit trees are also a major bear attractant right now, and homeowners should harvest fruit as soon as it ripens.

“We strongly urge residents to keep all garbage and other attractants secured until the snow flies,” Jonkel said.

Contact FWP at 406-542-5500 to learn more about how to minimize backyard bear attractants and what bear deterrent systems, such as bear-resistant garbage cans or electric fence kits, may be needed to keep attractants off-limits.

PA Game Commission Offers Advice On Avoiding Bear Conflicts

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- With summer quickly slipping by, many Pennsylvanians may have forgotten about problems caused by black bears in the spring, when nuisance bear activity typically peaks. However, black bear activity also tends to increase during the fall, and Pennsylvania Game Commission officials remind homeowners that steps taken now can minimize problems with bears during the next few weeks and months.

Mark Ternent, Pennsylvania Game Commission black bear biologist, noted that, as fall progresses, bears will begin to increase their food intake to prepare for the upcoming denning season, which begins in mid- to late-November. For some bears, the search for food may lead them closer to people or homes.

Ternent offered suggestions on how to reduce the likelihood that your property will attract bruins and how to best react when a bear is encountered.

“Bear activity can increase during the fall as bears try to consume as many calories as possible from any source they can find in preparation for denning,” Ternent said. “As a result, sightings of bears can increase, particularly if natural nut and berry crops are below average.

“While Pennsylvania bears are mostly timid animals that would sooner run than confront people, residents should know a few things about how to react if they encounter a bear, or better yet, how to avoid an encounter altogether by reducing the likelihood of attracting bears in the first place.”

Ternent stressed there are no known records of a free-ranging Pennsylvania black bear killing a human, and there have been fewer than 25 reported injuries resulting from black bear encounters during the past 10 years in the state. However, deaths caused by black bears have occurred elsewhere in North America. Pennsylvania’s bear population currently is estimated at 17,000 animals, and reports of problems because people failed to keep food away from bears are not uncommon.

“When bears become habituated to getting food from people, it can lead to conflicts, property damage and the possibility of injury or eventual destruction of the bear,” Ternent said. “Feeding wildlife, whether the activity is intended for birds or deer, can draw bears into an area. Once bears become habituated to an area where they find food, they will continue to return, which is when the bear can become a real problem for homeowners and neighbors.”

“Even more disturbing are the reports we receive about people intentionally feeding bears to make them more visible for viewing or photographing.”

Since March 2003, it has been illegal to intentionally feed bears in Pennsylvania. Unintentional feeding of bears which results in nuisance bear activity also can result in a written warning that, if ignored, may lead to a citation and fine.

“We recognize that people enjoy viewing wildlife, and we are not attempting to impact that activity,” Ternent said. “But, all too often, complaints about bears can be traced back to intentional or unintentional feeding. To protect the public, as well as bears, we need to avoid the dangers of conditioning bears to finding food around homes. It would be irresponsible to do otherwise.”

Ternent listed five recommendations to reduce the chances of having a close encounter with a black bear on a homeowner’s property:

• Play it smart. Do not feed wildlife. Food placed outside for wildlife, such as corn for squirrels or deer, may attract bears. Reconsider putting squash, pumpkins, corn stalks or other Halloween or holiday decorations outside that also may attract bears. Even bird feeders can become “bear magnets.” Tips for how to safely feed birds for those in prime bear areas include: restrict feeding season to when bears hibernate, which is primarily from late November through late March; avoid foods that are particularly attractive for bears, such as sunflower seeds, hummingbird nectar mixes or suet; bring feeders inside at night or suspend them from high crosswires; and temporarily remove feeders for two weeks if visited by a bear. Encourage your neighbors to do the same.
• Keep it clean. Don’t place garbage outside until pick-up day; don’t throw table scraps out back for animals to eat; don’t add fruit or vegetable wastes to your compost pile; and clean your barbecue grill regularly. If you feed pets outdoors, consider placing food dishes inside overnight.
• Keep your distance. If a bear shows up in your backyard, stay calm. From a safe distance, shout at it like you would to chase an unwanted dog. If the bear won’t leave, slowly retreat and call the nearest Game Commission regional office or local police department for assistance. Children should understand not to run, approach or hide from a bear that wanders into the yard, but, instead, to walk slowly back to the house.
• Eliminate temptation. Bears that visit your area are often drawn there. Neighbors need to work together to reduce an area’s appeal to bears. Ask area businesses to keep dumpsters closed and bear-proofed (chained or locked shut).
• Check please! If your dog is barking, or cat is clawing at the door to get in, try to determine what has alarmed your pet. But do it cautiously, using outside lights to full advantage and from a safe position, such as a porch or an upstairs window. All unrecognizable outside noises and disturbances should be checked, but don’t do it on foot with a flashlight. Black bears blend in too well with nighttime surroundings providing the chance for a close encounter. If bears have been sighted near your home, it is a good practice to turn on a light and check the backyard before taking pets out at night.

“Ideally, we want bears to pass by residential areas without finding a food reward that would cause them to return and become a problem,” Ternent said. “Capturing and moving bears that have become habituated to humans is costly and sometimes ineffective because they can return or continue the same unwanted behavior where released. That is why wildlife agencies tell people that a ‘fed bear is a dead bear.’”

Ternent noted that although bears are no strangers to Pennsylvanians, bears are misunderstood by many.

“Bears should not be feared, nor should they be dismissed as harmless, but they do need to be respected,” Ternent said.

He also advised:

• Stay Calm. If you see a bear and it hasn’t seen you, leave the area calmly. Talk to the bear while moving away to help it discover your presence. Choose a route that will not intersect with the bear if it is moving.
• Get Back. If you have surprised a bear, slowly back away while quietly talking. Face the bear, but avoid direct eye contact. Do not turn and run; rapid movement may be perceived as danger to a bear that is already feeling threatened. Avoid blocking the bear’s only escape route and try to move away from any cubs you see or hear. Do not attempt to climb a tree. A female bear can falsely interpret this as an attempt to get at her cubs, even though the cubs may be in a different tree.
• Pay Attention. If a bear is displaying signs of nervousness or discomfort with your presence, such as pacing, swinging its head, or popping its jaws, leave the area. Some bears may bluff charge to within a few feet. If this occurs, stand your ground, wave your arms wildly, and shout at the bear. Turning and running could elicit a chase and you cannot outrun a bear. Bears that appear to be stalking should be confronted and made aware of your willingness to defend by waving your arms and yelling while you continue to back away.
• Fight Back. If a bear attacks, fight back as you continue to leave the area. Bears have been driven away with rocks, sticks, binoculars, car keys, or even bare hands.

“Learning about bears and being aware of their habits is a responsibility that comes with living in rural Pennsylvania or recreating in the outdoors,” Ternent said.

Intelligent and curious, black bears are heavy and have short, powerful legs. Adults usually weigh from 200 to 600 pounds, with rare individuals weighing up to 800 pounds. An adult male normally weighs more than an adult female, sometimes twice as much.

Bears may be on the move at anytime, but they’re usually most active during evening and morning hours. Bears are omnivorous, eating almost anything from berries, corn, acorns, beechnuts, or even grass to table scraps, carrion, honey and insects.

More information on black bears is available on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by putting your cursor over “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then clicking on “Hunting” from the drop-down menu listing and then clicking on the “Black Bear” in the “Big Game” listing.

Also, a brochure on living with black bears can be obtained by putting your cursor over “Self-Help” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then putting your cursor on “Your Property and Wildlife” from the drop-down menu listing and then clicking on “Living with Black Bear” in next drop-down menu listing.

Coastal Black Bear Hunting - A Do It Yourself Guide

Diizche Safari Adventures

LINCOLN, CA --(Ammoland.com)- Diizche Safari Adventures is proud to announce they just released a new book on September 7, 2010 that will be of interest to big-game hunters.

Coastal Black Bear Hunting: Prince of Wales Island, Alaska is intended for those planning a big- game hunting trip, particularly those planning a self- guided black bear hunting trip to Alaska.

This book guides the readers through planning, preparing for, and carrying out a self-guided black bear hunt on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Much of the information, of course, would be relevant to other big-game hunts as well. The wealth of information provided in the body of the book is nicely supplemented by easy-to-use appendices and a bibliography. You will learn all aspects of executing your hunt from pre-planning until you return home.

The book, written by Shawn Christopher Joyce, has been well received by some familiar names in the business, including Massad Ayoob, Craig Boddington, and Mark Sullivan.

This is some of what they have to say:

“A tour de force that not only makes you wish you were there with him, but makes you feel as if you are. His book isn’t just about how to ruin a bruin…it’s the consumer’s guide to a hunt of a lifetime that you’ll always be proud of having arranged and carried out yourself.” Massad Ayoob Internationally Renowned Author, Firearms and Self-Defense Expert

“Bear hunting has been one of my favorite North American hunts for more than 40 years now. Shawn Joyce’s book is accurate and thorough, packed with great tips that will help any bear hunter–or any do- it-yourself hunter–anywhere. As for Prince of Wales Island, well, that’s one of the places I haven’t yet had a chance to hunt. After reading his book, I am now fully prepared!” Craig Boddington Executive Field Editor InterMedia Outdoors

“Hunting the great bears of Alaska is something I have personally had the privilege to enjoy… Shawn Joyce`s book, Coastal Black Bear Hunting, is a must read… It was written by a hunter—for a hunter. Shawn`s book is clear and concise. This book takes you through the entire process, step by step, and in a way that captures the hunter spirit in each of us and makes us want to be the Big Bwana. Whether you are an experienced hunter or a novice, you will come away with many useful tips. Mark Sullivan Owner of Nitro Express Safaris–Tanzania Professional Hunter, Internationally Renowned Author

For many, the idea of hunting dangerous game in Alaska is a dream they hope to someday experience. Self-guided hunts are not just for hunters interested in saving money. Hunts of this nature are also for those seeking adventure, self-reliance, flexibility, and affirmation of their capabilities. Those who can afford to hunt with a guide often prefer to challenge themselves and accomplish the hunt on their own. Some of this information will also prove to be helpful to those who may prefer to utilize a guide. This book has information that will be useful to both rifle and archery hunters.

This is only available in trade hardcover edition US $29.95-Shipping is included in the contiguous United States. The book is autographed when ordered through the Diizche Safari Adventures website. To order this book and other products from Diizche Safari Adventures, go to www.diizchesafariadventures.com

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, MD --(Ammoland.com)- If you haven’t applied but intended to, you need to apply online by 11:59 p.m. this coming Wednesday, Septembe 1, 2010. (That’s almost midnight.)

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications to participate in this year’s lottery for black bear hunting permits on until Wednesday evening. Applications issued will be valid for this year’s black bear hunting season, which will take place October 25 through October 30.

“This year’s hunt will follow the same successful model we’ve used for the previous bear hunting seasons,” said Pete Jayne, Associate Director for Game Management for DNR.

The application process will follow the Preference Point System for bear hunting permit applications that DNR implemented in 2007. Hunters who apply this year will receive one entry in the random drawing as well as one additional entry for each past consecutive year they have applied. Therefore, those hunters who applied unsuccessfully in 2007, 2008 and 2009 will receive four entries in the drawing when they apply this year.

The following rules also apply:

• Applicants must apply each year to retain preference points. If an applicant skips a year, all preference points will be forfeited.
• Once an applicant is selected to receive a bear hunting permit in the random drawing, all preference points will be forfeited.
• If an applicant is selected in the random drawing, but forfeits the permit, all preference points will be forfeited.
• Applicants will have the opportunity to purchase a preference point. This will allow those hunters who cannot hunt in 2010 the opportunity to retain their preference points for use in future drawings.

DNR will issue 260 bear hunting permits with a quota of 65-90 bears and will close the hunt when the quota is reached. The opportunity to hunt black bears in Maryland remains limited to Garrett and Allegany counties.

Online applications for the Maryland Black Bear Lottery are being accepted until 11:59 p.m. (almost midnight) on Wednesday, September 1.

To apply, a $15 nonrefundable application fee must be submitted via credit card, check, or money order. All payments must be received by 12 p.m. on Thursday, September 2, 2010. Checks and money orders should be made payable to MDDNR Black Bear and mailed to MDDNR Black Bear, P.O. Box 360, Frostburg, MD 21532.

Only one application per person will be accepted. Duplicate applications will result in disqualification and forfeiture of all fees.

New Mexico Game and Fish

CEDAR CREST, NM --(Ammoland.com)-One person killed a black bear when it approached aggressively Wednesday night, and another person killed one that was attacking a llama near Placitas, the Department of Game and Fish announced Thursday.

State law allows individuals to kill wildlife when it is a threat to human safety, or is destroying crops or other property. As of early this week, the Department has handled 151 bear complaints since April 1, with more coming in each day.

More than 30 bears have been killed statewide since April 1, mostly males that were observed breaking into houses, attacking livestock, or involved in bear attacks on humans.

The bear killed in Cedar Crest by a citizen who felt threatened was a male roughly 200 pounds or more, shot once at about 15 feet. The llama attack was the work of an older male bear with worn teeth and about 175 pounds. The llama survived.

Game and Fish Conservation Officer John Martsh also caught a large male bear in a trap Wednesday night, and then had to respond to two additional bear calls.

“The bear activity is not slowing down,” Martsh said.

Thursday’s trapped bear was approximately 300 pounds and is the second one to be caught this year at the same residence on Juniper Hill Loop in Cedar Crest.

Although food shortages typically create bear problems each spring and summer, the aggressive nature of bears this year also may be a sign of an expanding bear population in some areas of the state, Department officials said.

New Jersey Bear Hunt

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- NJ DEP Commissioner Bob Martin today approved a Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy that would include the state’s first black bear hunt since 2005.

The policy also includes public education, research, bear habitat analysis and protection, non-lethal bear management techniques and enhanced efforts to keep human food sources, especially household trash, away from bears to limit troubling bear-human encounters.

To view the DEP news release concerning the policy visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2010/10_0072.htm on the DEP Web site; to review the policy itself, visit: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearpolicy10.htm on the Division of Fish and Wildlife Website.

For tips on proper garbage management and coexisting with bears, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearfacts_avoid.htm , also on the DFW site.

New Mexico Game and Fish

TORREON, NM --(Ammoland.com)- Patrick Almy of Switzerland came to New Mexico to study Sufi in the Manzano Mountains near here.

Tuesday morning he awoke to a small cinnamon-colored black bear sitting on top of his tent.

The bear scratched Almy during his efforts to get out of the tent and out from under the animal, said Department of Game and Fish Officer John Martsh, who interviewed the Sufi student later in the day.

In a written statement, Almy said he tried to run away from the bear, but then remembered what he had learned on a “cougar poster” he read while visiting a campground in the Cibola National Forest.

“I picked up a branch and some stones and threw them at the bear” Almy said. “The bear ran away, but stayed at some distance. I went back to my tent, but the bear was still close so I threw another rock.”

The camper told Martsh the Sufi students were storing food in a cement or block building with no door on it.

“It sounds like there’s quite a bit of trash there, also, and other things that would be interesting to bears,” Martsh said.

Conservation officer Darrel Cole said Game and Fish receives bear calls every year from the Sufi Foundation, an organization whose Web site says Sufi “develops higher intelligence and awareness.”

Earlier this year, the Department joined forces with Animal Protection of New Mexico, the U.S. Forest Service, Santa Fe County Open Space, and New Mexico State Parks Division to distribute “Cougar Smart” posters at trailheads from the Manzanos to the Carson National Forest.

The bear was described as playful and curious rather than aggressive, and a live trap was set at the Sufi Foundation.

Hikers and campers encountering bears and cougars should stand their ground and not run, keep pets leashed and children close, and fight back if attacked. This is the second incident this year when fighting back terminated a bear attack.

Maryland Bear Hunter Becky Brensinger

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, MD --(Ammoland.com)- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin accepting applications to participate in this year’s lottery for black bear hunting permits on Monday, August 2.

Applications issued will be valid for this year’s black bear hunting season, which will take place October 25 through October 30.

“This year’s hunt will follow the same successful model we’ve used for the previous bear hunting seasons,” said Pete Jayne, Associate Director for Game Management for DNR.

The application process will follow the Preference Point System for bear hunting permit applications that DNR implemented in 2007. Hunters who apply this year will receive one entry in the random drawing as well as one additional entry for each past consecutive year they have applied. Therefore, those hunters who applied unsuccessfully in 2007, 2008 and 2009 will receive four entries in the drawing when they apply this year.

The following rules also apply:

• Applicants must apply each year to retain preference points. If an applicant skips a year, all preference points will be forfeited.
• Once an applicant is selected to receive a bear hunting permit in the random drawing, all preference points will be forfeited.
• If an applicant is selected in the random drawing, but forfeits the permit, all preference points will be forfeited.
• Applicants will have the opportunity to purchase a preference point. This will allow those hunters who cannot hunt in 2010 the opportunity to retain their preference points for use in future drawings.

DNR will issue 260 bear hunting permits with a quota of 65-90 bears and will close the hunt when the quota is reached. The opportunity to hunt black bears in Maryland remains limited to Garrett and Allegany counties.

Online applications for the Maryland Black Bear Lottery will be accepted from 9 a.m. on Monday, August 2, 2010 until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1 at http://blackbear.dnr.state.md.us. Phone applications will be accepted at 1-888-579-6768 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. from Monday, August 23 through Friday, August 27, 2010 ONLY.

To apply, a $15 nonrefundable application fee must be submitted via credit card, check, or money order. All payments must be received by 12 p.m. on Thursday, September 2, 2010. Checks and money orders should be made payable to MDDNR Black Bear and mailed to MDDNR Black Bear, P.O. Box 360, Frostburg, MD 21532.

Only one application per person will be accepted. Duplicate applications will result in disqualification and forfeiture of all fees.

This year applicants will have the option of voluntarily contributing to the Black Bear Damage Reimbursement Fund when they apply for a permit. Donated funds will be used to directly reimburse Maryland farmers who have suffered agricultural damage caused by black bears. The Black Bear Damage Reimbursement Fund was established in 1996 and has paid out more than $100,000 in eligible claims to Maryland farmers. Last year, hunters voluntarily donated $1,520 to the fund.

For more information, visit: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/BlackBearGuide.asp.

Contact: Josh Davidsburg
410-260-8002 office I 410-507-7526 cell
jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us

About:
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov

Philmont Scout Ranch NM

New Mexico Game and Fish

RATON, NM --(Ammoland.com)- A  employee killed a bear early Wednesday after it jumped on a tent and scratched and bit a camper, the Department of Game and Fish reported Wednesday.

Injuries to the 14-year-old scout include a bite to the hand and a deep scratch to the head. The scout was treated at Philmont and then transferred to Santa Fe for additional treatment.

The bear, 2 to 3-year-old, 150-pound male, was killed within two miles of a previous attack on a camper at Philmont, the Department said. There was no apparent cause for the attack, and officials are hopeful the dead bear is the same one that was involved in a previous incident.

Game and Fish wants to remind campers that food, pets, the clothing you cooked in, and toiletries all can attract the attention of bears and lead to a a bear encounter or, in extreme cases, an attack.

This is the second bear killed at Philmont this summer. An earlier bear was killed after it attacked and killed a goat.

The head of the dead bear will be transferred to Veterinary Diagnostic Services to be tested for rabies.

Tune in to New Mexico Game and Fish TV:

“New Mexico Wildlife”

• 6:30 a.m. Saturdays on KASA Channel 2, Albuquerque
• 6:30 p.m. Sundays on KENW, Portales
• 7:30 p.m. Thursdays on KRWG, Las Cruces

• YouTube: www.youtube.com/NMGameandFish
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/NMDGF

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Montana --(Ammoland.com)-A Washington man was injured early Monday morning by a black bear that bit through the side of his tent while camping in Mineral County, just southwest of St. Regis.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) wardens who investigated the scene, Rob Holmes, of Ellensburg, was awakened from his sleep at around 4:30 a.m. when he felt an animal bite his ear from outside his tent. The animal ran off without being seen.

Twenty-one stitches were required to close the injury to Holmes’s ear lobe.

Although no tracks were visible, the wardens were able to inspect bite marks in the tent, and found similar bite marks in canned food at a nearby abandoned camp site.

“He did everything right,” Jeff Darrah, FWP Warden Captain in Missoula, said. “He kept a clean camp and did not place himself at risk. Unfortunately, food and other attractants that were abandoned at another nearby camp likely drew the bear in.”

The primitive U.S. Forest Service campground, located about two miles up Little Joe Road, will be closed until further notice while officials attempt to capture and remove the bear.

“If we can capture the offending animal, we plan to euthanize it,” said Mack Long, FWP Regional Supervisor. “We don’t like to leave a food habituated bear out there that could potentially pose a risk to future campers in the area.”

Spring Time Bears

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- As you know, the surge in reported human/bear conflicts, and the failure of secured garbage cans and educational pamphlets to bring ecological balance to bears and available habitat, has prompted the NJ DEP to pursue a bear hunt.

There remain people and groups that refuse to accept the research performed at East Stroudsburg University that’s been used to substantiate a hunt. These people/groups are unconcerned about burgeoning human/bear conflicts; the need for public safety, science based game management and ecological health.

A coalition of “Who’s Who” animal extremist groups working to pressure Trenton to forgo a bear hunt include the BEAR Group, the Humane Society of the United States, the Sierra Club, Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey (AWFNJ), the Animal Protection League (APL) of New Jersey, In Defense of Animals (IDA), the Protecting Animal Welfare Political Action Committee (PAW/PAC), and the League of Humane Voters of New Jersey.

A brief review of the fundamental mission of nearly all of these organizations is “animal rights” and not environmental stewardship. As we all know, Mother Nature does not use “animal’s rights” as a basis of ecosystem health, she uses “predator/prey” relationships to achieve equilibrium. Managed hunting is a tool used by state’s to assist in providing ecosystem balance and is based on predator/prey relationships – the same mechanism used by Mother Nature. Hunting is also a source of food for the hunter and his/her family.

The groups opposed to a bear cull have instituted a lawsuit to stop a bear hunt. They are also buying billboard space to demagogue the issue. They will also be placing ads in the following papers:

• Star Ledger
• The Hunterdon Observer,
• The Warren Reporter, (Somerset)
• Messenger Gazette,
• The Independent Press
• NJ.com
• Observer Tribune (Mendham)
• Bernardsville News

If you are for science based game management, if you are for environmental stewardship and if you are for sound public policy and protection of both humans and bears please copy the following sentence and then go to the following NJ Department of Environmental Protection link (provided) and paste/send your comments in support of a much needed bear hunt. You must respond by 6/18/10.

Cut & Paste: “I support environmental stewardship, human/bear safety and good public policy. Please enact a New Jersey black bear hunt. Thank you.”

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10_comment.htm

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earth’s resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

A Hungry Bear Can Ruin A Camping Trip

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga --(Ammoland.com)- Whether it is a “roughing it” summer tent camping trip or a comfy stay at a cabin in the woods, there’s always a possibility for a black bear sighting or encounter in North Georgia.

With more than 75 established campgrounds and an estimated 4,000 black bears in this part of the State, campers should always be aware and prepared for a black bear encounter. The key to preventing an unfavorable experience is to properly store food and garbage.

“Bears can become habituated to people when they are fed – whether intentional or not. When a bear knows it can get a ‘free meal,’ it will return again and again until eventually it loses its natural fear of humans. This is when the majority of human-bear conflicts occur and the bear is labeled a nuisance,” explains Adam Hammond, wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.

Proper food storage while camping means that no food, drinks, coolers or garbage should be left out in the open. Even non-food items with strong odors, such as toothpaste, deodorant and soap should be secured.

All food and scented items should be secured either inside a vehicle or cabin – not in a tent. If backcountry camping, place items inside a knapsack and hoist it out of reach of bears and other wildlife (at least 10 feet off the ground and 6 feet from tree trunk).

Bears in Georgia
Black bears commonly are found in three areas of the state – the north Georgia mountains, the Ocmulgee River drainage system in central Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeastern part of the state. However, black bears can and do range over larger areas; especially in early spring and late summer, when natural food sources are scarce. Young male bears are also known to disperse in an effort to establish their own territory.

Though the American black bear (Ursus americanus) is now considered the most common bear in North America and the only native bear found in Georgia, at one point the species was nearly eradicated from the state due to poaching and habitat loss. Yet, because of sound wildlife management practices Georgia’s current black bear population is healthy and thriving and estimated at approximately 5,100 bears statewide.

For more information regarding black bears, visit www.georgiawildlife.com, contact a WRD Game Management office or call (770) 918-6416. The public also can visit their local library to check out a copy of an informational DVD entitled, “Where Bears Belong: Black Bears in Georgia.”

West Virginia Black Bears

West Virginia DNR

West Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) cautions all residents that feeding black bears is a violation of state law, as well as a misguided disservice to our state animal, according to Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the DNR Wildlife Resources Section.

“It is understandable that some people will illegally set out food to get a glimpse of this beautiful animal,” Carpenter said. “However, these actions often result in the death of the bear. Bear movements are tied to food sources. Bears that wander near residential areas in search of food are less likely to stay and become a nuisance if they do not find anything to eat.”

Capturing and moving bears that have become accustomed to humans is a costly and often ineffective way of addressing the problem, especially when faced with the possibility of merely moving a problem bear from one area to another. That is why wildlife agencies around the country tell people that a “fed bear is a dead bear.”

Bear populations have increased and expanded across the state in the past 10 years. Bears are now found in areas where they have been absent for decades, and have been reported in all 55 counties. Multiple reports of sows with cubs have been received from the northern and western portions of the state.

Human/bear interactions increase during the spring and summer for several reasons. Natural food sources are at their lowest point when bears leave their dens in the spring. High-energy foods such as serviceberries, blackberries, raspberries , and blueberries do not become available until later in the summer.

In addition, the bear breeding season, which peaks from late June through July, puts many bears on the move. During the breeding season, males will cover large areas while searching for females. This is also the time of year when adult female bears will chase off their yearlings so that they may breed again. All bears, but especially yearlings that are on their own for the first time, will take advantage of easy food sources. Bears will continue on their way if they do not find easy food sources.

Bears quickly become habituated to handouts in the form of trash, bird seed and pet food, and lose their fear of humans. Bears that have lost their fear of humans resort to raiding garbage, outdoor freezers, storage sheds, vehicles and other structures associated with people. Unfortunately, when these activities are repeated, Division of Natural Resources personnel are forced to humanely destroy the offending animal for safety reasons.

“The unintentional feeding of black bears is something that can be prevented,” Carpenter explained. “Garbage needs to be secured in a bear-proof facility and placed out for collection on the morning of pick-up, not the night before. Food scraps that produce large amounts of odor should be sealed in a plastic bag before being placed in the trash. Residents should remove all outside pet food at night, and bird feeders should be taken down, cleaned, and stored until late fall to further discourage bears from feeding around human habitation.”

Feeding of any wildlife should be avoided for numerous reasons, including, but not limited to, disease transmission, increased predation, habitat destruction around the feeding site, ethical concerns, and the animal’s overall health. Following these practical and common sense recommendations will reduce human/bear conflicts and assure that more of the state’s animals remain wild.

Spring Time Bears

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga --(AmmoLand.com)- A black bear sighting, even somewhere like metro Atlanta, is not altogether unusual, especially during the Georgia springtime.

That’s because during the spring and summer, young male bears that are “on their own” for the first time may be found roaming and sometimes stumbling into non-traditional bear range, including suburbs and urbanized areas.

Adult males typically force these young males out of familiar territory and what is considered traditional bear range. As a result, young males continue to roam as they try to establish their own territory.

In an effort to curb the instinctive alarm that residents may experience when a bear is sighted, wildlife biologists with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division want to inform and educate residents and visitors on how best to respond.

“If a black bear is sighted passing through an area, the best thing to do is to leave it alone,” says Wildlife Biologist Adam Hammond. “Residents should never approach a bear and never, under any circumstances, feed a bear. Even worse, attempting to ‘tree’ or corner a bear in a certain area often compromises both the safety and welfare of the public and the bear.”

If left alone, these young male bears, referred to as ‘transient’ bears, usually make their way back to more traditional bear range – the North Georgia mountains, the Ocmulgee River drainage system in central Georgia, or the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeastern part of the state. Increased reports of bear sightings from residents in North Georgia indicate that the bear population in this area is healthy and may be experiencing range expansion.

According to Hammond, unless there is evidence of aggressive behavior, or if a bear is continually getting into garbage or other non-natural food sources (i.e. birdseed, compost piles, grills and pet food), there is no real cause for alarm.

While there is no way to prevent a bear from wandering into a neighborhood, there are a few steps people can take to discourage one from staying:

• Never, under any circumstances, feed a bear. Such activity is unlawful.
• Keep items, such as grills, pet food or bird feeders off-limits to bears. Clean and store grills when not in use. Keep pet food indoors and take bird feeders down if bears are in the area.
• Convert to ‘bear-proof’ garbage containers, or store garbage in the garage or other enclosed area until pick-up day.

Properly securing food and garbage prevents bears from accessing non-natural, human-provided food sources and thereby, helps avoid the unhealthy process of habituation, which occurs when bears easily obtain food sources from humans, begin associating humans with food and as a result, lose their innate wariness of people.

The black bear is a treasured symbol of Georgia’s natural diversity. Now considered the most common bear in North America and the only bear found in Georgia, at one point the species was nearly eradicated from the state due to poaching and habitat loss. Yet, because of sound wildlife management practices, Georgia’s current black bear population is healthy and thriving and is estimated at approximately 5,100 bears statewide.

For more information regarding black bears, visit www.georgiawildlife.com or contact a Wildlife Resources Division, Game Management office. The public also can visit their local library to check out a copy of an informational DVD entitled, “Where Bears Belong: Black Bears in Georgia.”

California Black Bears

NRAHuntersRights.org

Sacramento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)- The California Fish and Game Commission opted to delay plans to expand the state’s black bear hunting season after the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) submitted a letter to the commission on Tuesday asking that the proposal be withdrawn.

The department had originally requested that the season be expanded in order to better manage the state’s growing black bear population, but it received more than 10,000 comments about the amended regulations and did not have time to address them all in writing, as is required by state law.

“For this reason, coupled with the importance of moving forward with the balance of the mammal hunting regulation package generally, the department recommends that the commission make no changes at this time to the existing regulations governing bear hunting in California,” said John McCamman, DFG director, in a letter to commission Executive Director John Carlson.

The commission responded by voting 5-0 to give the department more time to manage the concerns expressed by anti-hunting groups, county officials and state lawmakers. The commission directed department staff to schedule an agenda item to begin a new package for bear hunting regulations at its May 5 meeting.

State wildlife officials had wanted to allow black bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County for the first time and expand bear hunting in Lassen and Modoc counties. According to DFG research, San Luis Obispo’s bear population stands at 1,067 and is biologically large enough sustain a hunt. Officials also wanted to remove the current season quota of 1,700 bears and allow the hunt to run until its official end in late December, as well as allow hunters to use dogs with GPS devices and tip switches—which indicate when a dog has treed a bear.

“We recommended the dropping of the 1,700 cap limit on bear harvest because bear populations have expanded, and we normally reach the 1,700 limit late in the season, just prior to the end date,” said Harry Morse, DFG public information officer.

Overall, California’s bear population has increased from approximately 10,000 bears in the 1980s to 38,000 bears today. Hunters and the dollars they have poured into wildlife management and habitat are largely responsible for that jump. For comparison, California’s human population has grown from about 24 million in 1981 to almost 37 million in 2009. More bears and more people have resulted in shrinking bear habitat and increased conflicts.

The fact that California has a healthy, growing bear population is a major reason why the 1,700-bear quota is no longer necessary. State biologists have said that removing the quota would have a negligible effect on the overall population. Cost is another factor.

According to the California Hunting Digest, when the quota is reached, “the DFG is required to send a notification letter to each bear tag holder. This has occurred only twice in the past six years. The DFG has proposed to the Fish and Game Commission that the in-season closure quota be eliminated because it provides no significant benefit to the bear population. As a result, the cost of notifying all hunters by mail is an unnecessary expense.”

In spite of the scientific justification for expanded bear hunting, a coalition of anti-hunting groups, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), has actively opposed any expansion of the hunt—a factor the commissioners alarmingly took into consideration at their meeting Wednesday.

“I have some problems with suggesting we expand the bear hunt at a time when a lot of constituency groups are questioning bear hunting at all,” Fish and Game Commissioner Richard Rogers told the Los Angeles Times after the vote.

“I don’t think there’s any question, if we rile up the anti-bear hunting community, we’re one initiative away from a ban on all carnivores like mountain lions and bears,” added Commissioner Michael Sutton.

Anti-hunting groups have used misinformation to their advantage in their campaign to thwart expanded bear hunting, such as distorting what the changes will mean to California’s actual bear kill.

GPS Tracking of Valuable Hunting Dogs

“The proposals could increase the number of bears killed each year by up to 50 percent, and allow the use of unsportsmanlike GPS devices and ‘tip switches’ to make it easier for hound hunters to shoot helpless, treed bears at point-blank range,” said Jennifer Fearing, California senior state director for HSUS.

In truth, DFG biologists have said any regulatory changes would result in an annual harvest of 2,150 bears, roughly a 20 percent increase over the current quota. The “unsportsmanlike” devices that HSUS demonizes do not make bear hunting easier or any less humane, but help hunters to keep track of their dogs, especially in rough terrain.

San Luis Obispo County supervisors passed a resolution of their own in March opposing bear hunting in their county, and 17 California legislators urged the commission to reject the amended bear hunting regulations on the grounds that they lacked “reasonable scientific justification.”

While it is disturbing enough that a game commissioner is worried about the opinions of anti-hunting groups that have an interest in seeing all bear hunting end, ignoring science in favor of emotion is no way to manage wildlife. It is clear that DFG’s proposal to expand bear hunting was backed by sufficient biological justification. The only reason wildlife officials requested that the proposal be withdrawn is because they were deluged with public comments that they could not address before a vote was held on the issue—not because it lacked scientific merit.

Thus, the scientific recommendation of state biologists should carry the greatest weight as the commission considers what direction bear management will take in the future.

It is possible that the commission could vote on this issue again as soon as this summer. Science should guide that process, not emotional, uninformed rhetoric from laypersons, lawmakers and, especially, anti-hunting groups with an agenda to end all hunting.

For additional information:

California DFG Corrects HSUS’ Misstatements

About:
For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.