Hi guys I'm conducting research on the management of the black bear across the states (i'll be in maine all summer) if you could help me out with any information/opinions/whatever then that'll be great If you have anything to share on the following: - any experiences of nuisance bear events (from bears in the garbage/garden to a bear attack) - any experience of hunting bears - any thoughts or opinions on bear management policy whatever you'll have will be a massive help Andy
I live in a heavily wooded area in Connecticut but the only bear encountered I can recall was when one walked through our backyard and then scared a neighbor in her backyard. The bear never hurt anyone, though, nor did it cause any kind of damage. ~Thylo
This is not much help, I am sure you know already, but here in Arizona they are treated as a game animal. This means they can be hunted in season with a properly issued license from Arizona Game and Fish. I am sure all the western states have the same policy. Many, many years ago (almost 20), I went camping with friends on Mt Lemmon, which is the pine forest mountain on the north side of Tucson. The rangers came around all the campsites to warn about bears in the area and locking up your food. Sure enough, in the middle of the night a bear visited our site, but we just made a lot of noise and it wandered off.
My aunt had a black bear break into her cabin at Lake Tahoe. Bears frequent the neighborhoods there. Another time she was reading on the cabin porch and her dog started barking ferociously and charged at a bear that was coming towards them.
In Michigan we do lottery drawings for the three bear hunts each fall. I know in the Grand Rapids area bears are becoming more and more common. Last summer we had one walk right through our village and another one was seen down in a busy part of Grand Rapids. He actually ended up run into my chem teacher and his wife as they were riding their bikes across the school grounds as a short cut and he charged them. A big problem is educating people from out of state and inner city areas on how to deal with bears. In Michigan most of us grow up knowing what to do around bears, but my chem teacher is from Iowa where they don't have bears so him and his wife fled instead of standing their ground and making noise. Thankfully, the bear turned away and ran towards the grocery store right across the street.
I've seen both Black Bears and Brown Bears so far this summer. In Alaska both species are managed as Game Animals, with "take" quotas set in accordance with the bears population and breeding success within a geographic location. Some areas are closed to hunting one species or the other, occasionally to both. In other areas the number of bears that may be killed varies...sometimes limited to permit by lottery, sometimes one a year, or one every four years. Some specific areas where Moose or Musk Ox are having poor breeding success due to bears overwhelming the calves born each year...the number allowed to be killed (or more likely, the manner in which bears are hunted) can be adjusted with a goal of diminishing the number of bears in the area. With Polar Bears, they may only be killed by Alaska Natives for sustenance and traditional use. Polar Bears cannot be hunted as game or for "sport" if you prefer. All three species may be killed in the defense of life and a few Brown Bears and Black Bears suffer this fate at the hands of Alaskans or State Officials each year. Fortunately Polar Bear habitat is isolated from most major population areas and the incidental take of this species is limited by that isolation. Check the web for a better look at Alaska Fish and Game's State Hunting Regulations...and specifically how bears are managed in the state.
Thank you all for your replies, I've been in coming to the end of my time in Maine and studying bears has been fabulous, if anyone is interested in the finished work (should be completed around next summer, do just drop me a message! thanks, Andy
