NY hunters took 1358 Bears last year

[fatnhappy]

I know at least 1 of them was with a cast boolit.


Associated Press

State officials say New York hunters killed 1,358 black bears during the 2013 hunting seasons, the second-highest number on record.

Figures released by the Department of Environmental Conservation on Monday show hunters killed a record 636 bears from the Southeastern hunting area and a near record 342 from the Central-Western area.

The agency says the high numbers reflect a growing bear population and an abundance of acorns and other nuts last fall.

DEC released a draft bear management plan for public comment in January. It proposed several changes, including expanding the area open to bear hunting to encompass all of upstate New York. It also establishes a supplemental firearms season in September in the Catskills and lower Hudson Valley.

DEC anticipates publishing a final version of the plan this spring.

[Ktmrider]

I took one in Southwestern NY a few years ago and that took me almost 30 years of hunting to do. Where I'm located down here in the Southwestern corner sightings have increased drastically, I for one am enjoying it.

[lostsixgunner]

One reason they had a record kill in the S.E. zone is because it was only the second year there has been a season there.

I live in this zone and there are definitely more bears here than in years past. I passed up a shot on a bear the 2nd day of the season last year. Nice bear, but I am looking for a larger one. I have killed three in the Adirondacks over the years with my Contender pistols.

One knocked down my bird feeder a couple weeks ago, so they're out of hibernation.

[Janoosh]

Seen one in Putnam Co. And my friend took one with a bow in Kent N.Y.. They're being seen with one or two ear tags around where I hunt.

[Pb2au]

That is pretty interesting. I never realized the harvest numbers were that high.
The State of Ohio DNR has finally fessed up and said, "yeah, we have black bears again in Ohio" as of 2012 I think. My dad and I had been seeing their tracks for some time on the east side of the state, and I finally saw the real deal near to Shawnee State forest in 2011.
Very cool, good on you guys for excellent management.

[fatnhappy]

I live in the burbs around Rochester. RIT is 2 miles from my house. They had to tranquilize and remove one from the campus. I see tracks in my backyard occasionally. I'm happy to see them expanding their range.

[Smoke4320]

"DEC released a draft bear management plan"
How do they get the bears to go thru that small hose :) :)

[Beerd]

Do you happen to have the statistics for the whitetail deer harvest?
some of the members may be interested in (or amazed by) the numbers.
..

[fatnhappy]

The NY DEC hasn't published the 2013 harvest results yet. 2012 figures are still online.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2012deerrpt.pdf

[Beerd]

1,358 black bear and a quarter million whitetail deer killed by hunters. Add to that the ones shot by poachers and hit by vehicles. New York State must not be all concrete jungle.
..

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Get 50 miles away from that monster cement slab called a city and New York State is a wonderful place to be. Been through there many times and happily drive out of my way to miss the apple that will bite you.
Of course it is same around Chicago and you only have to drive 35 miles to get away from the corrupt liberal manipulators who call themselves public officials.
Mike in Peru

[Janoosh]

65-70 miles north of NYC is over 3000 acres of public hunting land. I hunt a 1500 acre parcel during muzzle loader season and I'm virtually alone. Mid week there is no one else there.

[fatnhappy]

1New York State must not be all concrete jungle.
..

Unfortunately that's a popular misconception. Most of NY is pretty rural.

[polara426sh]

My wife said she had a bear cross the road in front of her last fall in Macedon Center. It wasn't too far from where there was a pretty bad accident, and the life flight chopper must have spooked it.