By Rod Cochran

New York's black bear hunters received a surprise package last year - the best season yet! Hunters tagged 1,864 bruins, setting a new state record, doubling the total of the previous year, and blowing away the former record kill of 1,070 bruins taken in 2000.

While the odds for another black bear bonanza this year are a long shot, the fact remains that Empire State bruins have steadily increased their numbers and expanded their range for over a decade. With high bear populations, excellent habitat and vast amounts of public land, New York's bear hunters can expect some great sporting opportunities this fall.

Bear sightings are no longer unusual for deer hunters who trek the backcountry or trout fishermen who bushwhack deep-woods streams for brookies. People living where bears sometimes invade neighborhoods, raiding garbage cans and bird feeders, have reported more bears as well.

Last year's remarkable increase in the bruin harvest occurred across all three of the distinct bear ranges in the state. Northern Zone hunters reported taking 1,370 bears from the Adirondack range, which, alone, would have set a new statewide record. The previous 10-year average take of bears in the Adirondacks is 499. Southern Zone hunters reported a total of 399 bears from the Catskills, where the previous 10-year average is 188, and Allegany-range hunters bagged 95 bears, more than double the previous 10-year average of 44.

The field of wildlife management is an inexact science at best, because Mother Nature provides surprises of one kind or another every year. And trying to manage bear populations with hunting seasons involves more than a few variables, making the whole process something of a crapshoot. For example, if winter comes early, with snow and freezing temperatures, it will send bears to their dens early, where they will sleep through much of the open season. Or if food is plentiful, bears will stay in remote areas making them less accessible to hunters. If food supplies are scarce, as was the case last year, bears will wander into farmlands and more populated areas, thus becoming easier targets for hunters.

DEC personnel and taxidermists cooperate in collecting age and sex information on harvested bears. This information is valuable in tracking population and range trends, but developing effective management policies remains an elusive target.

Characterizing last year's bear hunt as "unprecedented," Dick Henry, the DEC's big-game biologist, summarized last season's conditions as possible harbingers for the current season.

"A general scarcity of natural foods in the Adirondack range resulted in bears being more active," he reported. "As a result, many bears stayed in the lower elevations longer than usual allowing hunters more opportunities for harvest."

He cited southern Adirondacks counties including Warren, Saratoga, Oneida and Fulton as experiencing harvests higher than those seen in the last 10 years. The northern counties with the highest bear harvests are currently Herkimer and Essex.

"Adequate natural food existed in the Southern Zone," according to Henry, "which caused bears to remain active throughout most of the hunting seasons."

Additionally, the weather stayed relatively mild, allowing hunters more harvest opportunities. The Catskill harvest was a new record, with the highest takes in Sullivan and Ulster counties. Allegany and Steuben counties recorded the highest takes in the Allegany range, which also established a new record.

Look for natural food sources, such as beechnuts, apples, grain crops or acorns for hot black bear hunting this fall. Photo by Bill Banaszewski

Recommendations thus far include increased hunting by expanding hunting areas or season changes or both, and increased public education to avoid bear problems, especially in the storage of garbage and food.

Human and bear conflicts have been on the rise across New York State, according to Erin M. Crotty, DEC commissioner. She cited the higher harvest numbers in 2003 and the future implementation of some of the stakeholder recommendations as ways to curb the frequency of bear complaints and thus achieve a better balance between bear populations and people.

Whatever the statewide harvest may total this year, or however the seasons may change in the future, chances are better than average of putting a bear skin rug by your fireplace this year. Although bear hunting is permitted in three so-called ranges, open seasons are restricted to certain wildlife management units rather than geographical areas, so be sure to check the regulations guide.

Here's a look at some of the best places to go for some exciting New York black bear hunting in 2004:

It's no mystery that the most bears and the best hunting opportunities are found here, but topographic maps and compass are necessary, and a GPS unit wouldn't hurt when exploring the narrow valleys, steep mountainsides, rocky ledges and wetlands in the region.

The best bet for sighting a bruin in this mountainous terrain is to locate a food supply. Although bears are omnivorous, meaning they will eat nearly anything, their favorite autumn diet is beechnuts and acorns, which are usually found on dry sites such as ridges or south-facing slopes. Pre-season scouting trips are highly recommended to check on feeding areas, which may be spaced miles apart.

Another tip from the experts is that bears are not totally forest dwellers, even though that is the popular notion. Depending upon food supplies, they will inhabit swamps, logged areas, hardwood stands, meadows and dense evergreens. Bears are attracted to water and will frequently follow streams. Well-marked hiking trails are found throughout the Adirondacks and provide access to the deep woods, but it's best to stay away from human activity when you begin scouting.

As stated earlier, the Adirondacks bear kill is likely to be down from last year.

"We expect the take to be nearer the 10-year average," reported Ed Reed, the DEC's Region 5 biologist stationed in Ray Brook.

Last year's weather patterns are not expected to be repeated, and more plentiful supplies of natural foods should be available this year, he explained. The best prospects in the eastern mountains will be in western Essex County and in Hamilton County, according to Reed.

Hunting the early season while the leaves are still on the trees, is especially tough in the mountains, emphasized Steve Heerkens, the DEC's wildlife biologist in Region 6.

"Baiting and chasing with hounds is prohibited in New York, so hunters must rely on hunting and woods skills to locate bears," he advised. "Finding food supplies is a lot of work, but it is critical to success."

Hunters tagged 198 bears in Essex County last year, which led the 12 counties comprising the Adirondack range. The remaining county totals were Herkimer, 192; Hamilton, 159; Oneida, 128; St. Lawrence, 120; Franklin, 119; Clinton, 115; Lewis, 104; Fulton, 102; Warren, 91; Saratoga, 25 and Jefferson, 17.

Counties with the most forest preserve land within their borders are perennial leaders in the bear harvest sweepstakes, so one tactic is to simply head into a big chunk of state land with the knowledge that bears are calling it home.

One way to approach this region is to hunt the northerly portion south of Upper Saranac Lake. Take Corys Road off state Route 3 to the second parking lot, where the trail begins. This leads into Cold River country, with the first segment going to Duck Hole, a distance of about nine miles, where there are two Adirondack shelters.

The trail continues along Cold River for about 12 miles, where there are more shelters, and passes Noah Rondeau's campsite, named for a hermit who lived here many years. The trail eventually circles eastward around the Seward Mountains. Shorter trails and segments of trails provide more convenient access to the High Peaks, but the Cold River offers a real wilderness hunt.

By hunting season, the crowds have vanished, and, more importantly, there is almost no one taking the trails from the recreation area leading south into the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area. Although there are many trails of shorter length, day trips into wilderness are convenient and attractive to hunters.

To reach the western gate, proceed on state Route 28. Turn south on Limekiln Road for two miles to the entrance gate just past the Forest Ranger headquarters. Access to the eastern gate is via the 12-mile-long partially paved Cedar River Road, originating at state Route 28, approximately two miles west of the village of Indian Lake.

About three miles south of the village of Long Lake on state Route 30, at an intersection marked Deerland on most maps, take North Point Road southwesterly to one of two trailheads. The first is 6.3 miles from Route 30, and the trail goes south to Upper Sargent Pond. The next trailhead, 1.5 miles beyond the first, goes south past Grass Pond, and in two miles intersects the first trail before it continues on to Tioga Point.

The best advice is to search extensively for bear sign before the season opens. Once a stand of oaks is found that has carpeted the forest floor with acorns, you simply settle in to wait for a bruin to shuffle into the natural buffet.

Hunters tagged 399 bears in the Catskill range last year, with a total of 134 reported from Sullivan County. Ulster County hunters tallied 102; Orange County, 62; Delaware County, 61; Greene County, 39 and Schoharie County, one.

The Seager Trail is marked with yellow discs, and proceeds easterly until it meets the Pine Hill Trail (designated by blue markers), which runs north and south reaching the interior of Big Indian.

Willowemoc is reached from state Route 17 at Exit 96. Proceed east on county routes 81 and 82 to DeBruce. Turn left on Fish Hatchery Road for two miles, and then take another left on Beech Mountain Road for one-quarter mile to the trailhead, which is delineated by red DEC markers.

Aside from the remote wilderness holdings of forest preserve land, most Allegany range bear hunting takes place on private land, and since open seasons are similar to those for deer, obtaining landowner permission to hunt may be difficult.

The best bets for public hunting here are the state forests, and, fortunately, there are several of these properties along the Pennsylvania border. For example, there is a cluster of three state forests, totaling nearly 2,300 acres, in southern Steuben County where a hunter might cross trails with a black bear. These include Greenwood State Forest, 907 acres; Rock Creek State Forest, 704 acres and Turkey Ridge State Forest at 676 acres.

North of the hamlet of Greenwood, state Route 248 is the eastern border of Rock Creek. Greenwood is accessed from Rock Creek Road off Route 248. Access to Turkey Ridge is by way of Norton Hollow Road, also off Route 248.

Hunters will find forest cover on these properties to be about one-third conifers, and two-thirds hardwoods, with many stands of beech and oak with good mast crops.

For more information on bear hunting in the Adirondacks region, call the DEC's offices in Ray Brook at (518) 897-1291 and Utica at (315) 793-3554. For Catskills information, call the New Paltz office at (845) 256-3098. For Southern Tier information, try the DEC's office in Allegany at (716) 372-0645.

For general information and maps, call the NYS Tourism office at (800) 225-5697.