Photo by T. C. Flanigan

While black bear hunting may not rival New Yorkers' interest in deer hunting, there is little doubt that a big black bear is a highly regarded trophy simply because these coveted animals are more difficult to find. But New York has a robust, expanding bear population, large enough to accommodate more serious attention.

"Bear numbers in the Alleganies in general have been increasing as well as in the Catskills," said Beth Renar, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) bear specialist. "Bears are not having any trouble (thriving) in New York at all. If anything, we're trying to ramp it down a little so we don't have as many nuisance problems as we've had."

A major reason New York's bear range is expanding is because bears are making more use of overgrown farmland. As forests on abandoned farms mature, these areas become good bear habitat. But high bear numbers can create problems because, unlike the Adirondack range and the Catskill range, the Allegany range, where most of this overgrown farm habitat exists, has a higher human population mixed in with the bear habitat. Conflicts are bound to occur. Bears become accustomed to raiding bird feeders and garbage cans in people's yards. Bears are now being seen in areas where they have been rare or absent for a century or more.

Even in the Adirondacks, marauding black bears can make a nuisance of themselves. Raiding bears often bother hikers and campers.

The NYS DEC has been working to educate people on how to avoid backyard bears.

"We've really been trying to hit home with people regarding proper food storage," Renar said.

In the Catskills, bears routinely raid campsites and homes.

"We tag and radio collar nuisance bears to track their movements," Renar noted.

Another program, which involves graduate students, is designed to determine how the DEC's bear education program is working.

"In the Catskills it's a hard problem to get a handle on. A nuisance bear must be moved at least 40 miles. That won't work in the Catskills, because even at 40 miles you're still in the bear's home habitat. Within two or three days they come right back," Renar said.

"What we've been promoting is negative conditioning. We try to do something designed to break the bears of a bad habit. Rubber buckshot is a big one we use. We also use pepper spray with various delivery methods. We also use electric fencing."

But beating the bears has proven to be difficult.

"Bears are resourceful creatures. Not much fazes them," Renar emphasized.

2004 HUNT RESULTS
The 2004 bear season was excellent.

"It's in the top three," Renar said. "Our record year was 2000, but last year was still pretty good."

How do the 2005 hunting seasons look?

"It's really going to depend on how the season regulations pan out," Renar stated. "If the new Southern Zone dates go through, there's bound to be an increased harvest."

Renar urged hunters to read their regulations guides carefully to stay current. Changes could occur this year.

Weather conditions always play a significant role in bear season success.

"A lot depends on the weather," Renar said. "If it's too wet, it's a problem. If there's no mast, it's a problem."

Major sources of food for bears during hunting seasons are hard mast, including acorns and beechnuts, or soft mast, including apples, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Too much rain tends to reduce blackberry and raspberry crops. Poor spring weather reduces hard mast crops.

Weather affects bear behavior during hunting season in other ways, too.