From the June 2005 issue

DEC Announces 2004 Black Bear Harvest Figures

The proper management of bear populations includes careful planning

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced harvest results of the 2004 black bear hunting seasons. Hunters harvested a total of 1,014 black bears statewide during the 2004 bear hunting seasons. This figure represents the state's third highest harvest for black bear and is well above the previous ten-year statewide average of 851.

NY Bear Population "Healthy and Vigorous"

"Opportunities to hunt for bear in New York State continue to be among the best in the northeast," Acting Commissioner Sheehan said. "New York's bear population is healthy and vigorous, requiring well-crafted hunting seasons designed to address the proper management of bear populations."

Black bear populations occupy three distinct geographic areas, or ranges, in New York State: the Adirondack, Catskill and Allegany ranges. Within these three ranges, hunting areas, bear populations, hunter effort and harvest vary significantly. However, harvests in all three ranges were well above average. Northern Zone hunters harvested 674 bears in the Adirondack range where the previous ten-year average was 579. Southern Zone hunters were also very successful, harvesting 257 bears in the Catskills where the previous ten-year average was 218. In the Allegany range, 83 bears were harvested where the previous ten-year average was 54.

Food Shortage Contributes to High Take

Seasonal diets of high-energy foods like nuts and acorns are essential for black bears and influence fat production, reproductive success, movement patterns, denning behaviors and survival. This past fall proved to be another year of poor food ("mast") availability which contributed to the above-average harvests observed last autumn. Mast comes in two types: hard-such as beech nuts or acorns, and soft-such as black or choke cherries. During years of food shortages, bears may tend to move over greater areas to find food. This makes them more vulnerable to hunting. Bears can also den early during a food shortage, which can lead to higher takes during the early part of the season and lower takes later.

According to DEC biologists, poor autumn foods have also contributed to a few cases of malnutrition and loss of young bears. Studies have shown younger bears are vulnerable to abnormally high mortality rates following years of mast failure. DEC will continue efforts to monitor bear populations in all three bear ranges.

Many Methods Used to Track Bear Population

In addition to harvest totals and seasonal food availability, DEC uses a variety of indices to measure bear populations. Taxidermists and DEC wildlife personnel collect age and sex information from harvested bears and movement data from tagged bears. This information, along with bear and human conflict data collected throughout the year, is used to help determine whether bear populations are increasing or decreasing and whether bears are expanding their range. This data helps DEC biologists establish future hunting regulations to assure that black bear populations in New York State are at a level compatible with human interests.

DEC takes into account many factors in order to properly measure bear populations

Expanded Hunting Seasons to Continue

DEC staff and "Human Dimensions" specialists from Cornell University are continuing to work together to develop a comprehensive management plan for New York's bear population. In response to recommendations from stakeholder input groups (SIG) that met to discuss black bear impact management, DEC expanded the bear hunting area in the Southern Zone for the 2004 season. In the Catskill region, wildlife management units (WMU) 4O and 4P were opened for hunting. In the Allegany region, WMUs 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9W, 9P and 9S were opened for hunting. Twenty-two bears were harvested from these newly opened areas during the regular bear season. These additional areas will be open during all seasons for bear hunting in the 2005-2006 license year.

Stakeholder Input Groups Target Education

All SIG meetings conducted to date have viewed education as a high priority management action for addressing several objectives, including maintaining safety and reducing bear-related problems. Bear and human conflicts are on the rise in New York State as more people are recreating and living in bear country. To assist in creating a better understanding of how people and wildlife can peacefully co-exist, a comprehensive package of black bear education materials was designed for the public, with materials available in some regions this summer.

DEC will continue holding black bear SIG meetings across the state to help provide guidance for future bear management. SIG meetings are currently underway in portions of central New York.

For the "New York State 2004 Black Bear Harvest" tables, please use the link below to DEC's press releases.