should md really get a bear hunt?
 

now dont get me wrong guys i think black bear are a awesome trophy but i was thinking one of the main reasons the dnr are pushing for this hunt is because of all the problems the bears are causing in the garret co. area, mainly around deep creak lake and peoples trash sites, they say there are around 400 black bear in md to me thats not an overwhelming #, i really cant see how taking a bear in greenridge forest is going to help the people out with the (problem bears ) bears in there trash in the urban area,s i think the owners of the land or houses should be aloud to take the trouble bears after they are concidered a lost cause , someone told me today that a lawyer filled a lawsuite to stop the bear hunt in md , i was wondering do we really need a bear season in maryland or should just the trouble bears be taken out. just wondering how you all felt about everything,,,,,

boy i know i opened up a can of worms, sorry in advance lol

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

You are buying the anti's lies.

A bear has a huge range and the same bear in your garbage is the same bear 5 miles into the woods. They come out because there is less food in the woods.

It's a good idea to be neat with your garbage. In locking up your garbage you have protected your garbage but this does nothing for wildlife management.

If we have an abundance of any game animal we should harvest the surplus. To do anything else is not responsible conservation.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

I live in SW PA and am likely to see 1 bear a year if I am lucky. This year I have been hunting in MD near Frostburg. In the last 3 weeks, between my dad, brother and I, we have seen 4 different bears in approx. a half sq. mile area. Every trip down we are seeing bears or fresh sign. I'm no expert, but this seems to be a pretty high concentration for a mostly forest area. JMO

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

Thats just like here in Jersey, Like JBC said " If we have an abundance of any game animal we should harvest the surplus " and to do that We as hunters are being responsible Conservationiest. If You look in the Bible, there are lines that talk about hunting the Game, GOD gave Us all. The Anti's talk about helping, But look and see where most of the money comes from to really help WildLife & Habitat. SPORTSMEN/WOMEN.... Good Luck to Everyone going on their Maryland's Bear Hunt.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

Also keep in mind that by ignoring an increasing population now, it will lead to a lot of trouble down the road. In California the mountain lions were protected "because their numbers were low". Even after they began to regain a foothold in the state, public opinion remained solidly against any resumption of hunting or trapping. The state continued to ignore the biological data in favor of political correctness--now they've had more attacks in the past ten years than the hundred before.

Wildlife management is not a part-time job, and it can't be set aside until it's too late. Too late means just what it says.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

YES LIKE I SAID THE GOAL IS TO KILL 30 BEARS, I THINK IF YOU KILL THE 30 CAUSING THE PROBLEMS THEN THAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, I BELIEVE EITHER THE LANDOWNER OR THE DNR SHOULD TAKE THEM OUT,I THINK MAKEING A PUBLIC HUNT AND CHARGING US 30$ FOR AN APLICATION JUST TO BE IN THE LOTERY IS NOT TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM , I HAVE BEEN HUNTING GREENRIDGE FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE ONLY SEEN A HANDFULL OF BEARS, I HAVE BEEN TO DEEP CREAK LAKE AND HAVE SEEN MORE IN A WEEKEND (DIFFERENT BEARS) THEN ALL MY HUNTING YEARS COMBINED. SO THE AREA IM TALKING IS OVER 60 MILES AWAY ,SO WHAT I AM SAYING IF YOU KILL 30 BEARS ON ONSIDE OF THE STATE THE PROBLEM IS STILL GOING TO BE THERE IN DEEPCREAK LAKE THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE THE SEASON AND NOW THE FOREST ARE OUT 30 BEARS.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

The way I look at it, the hunt will lead to 30 fewer bears competing for food. That right there leads to perhaps 30 other bears that won't need to poke around houses and campsites to find dinner (for a total of 60 bears prevented from bothering humans). Like jbc said, they will go wherever the food is, and they're not hesitant to go long distances if necessary. Their ecosystem goes well beyond the borders of Western Maryland.

Also, I don't understand why you're mentioning Greenridge. The hunt takes place in Garrett and Allegany Counties, in which area Deep Creek Lake is found.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

DR. K,

You're not listening. The SAME bears that are causing problems are the SAME bears in the deep woods. They have a HUGE home range.

BTW, in NJ after our first hunt complaints are down. Not a single one of the 328 bears we killed broke into a house, killed a pet or chased school children this year. See, it works.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

I can't understand people who don't live in or around the problem areas complaining so much about the hunt. I belong to a hunt club in Garrett county and know people who live there. I've heard their stories about being told by DNR to stay in their houses because there are problem bears in the area. I've been on hunts and saw sign of 5 different bears within a half mile area. And besides the problem bears, DNR reports something like 30 bears a year are struck and killed on MD roads and highways. So, not just problem bears are causing problems, it's all bears. There are simply getting to be too many in that area. And the number of 400 bears, in my opinion, is probably on the very low side. I've seen too many bears, saw too much sign and saw bears in too many different parts of the state to believe that there are only 400 bears in the entire state.

I personally think we oughtta make the anti's opposing the hunt live in an area with the bears for a while and see if their opinions changes. It would probably only take 1 bear hitting their car or one bear rumaging through their trash or one bear showing no fear of them to change their minds.

Just my opinion,

Slice

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

i don't think the hunt really matters, look at the percentage of land MD makes up on the pan handle ...PA and WV already have bear seasons ...i can't see any real harm in adding MD into the fold also, right now it seems that it's a refuge for all the local bears.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

The DNR is also going to pair up land owners that have problem bears with hunters that drew tags, this will help make sure the right bears are being targeted. The majority of the tags issued were for private land to help with the problem bears, the bears in the big state forests are not as much of a problem so they are not being targeted.

On a bit of a side note. The anti's are going to be out in force in the area where the hunt is to take place. I think we should gather a big group of hunters to head out there and show our support for the hunt. Not necessarily to battle the anti's but to show our support and to give the news stations something else to report besides the negative aspects they will get from the anti hunters. I think those of us who didnt draw a tag could still do our part to ensure future bear hunts.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

lefty=genius!!!

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

When I first started hunting in 1980 I saw my first bear here in NJ, after a few years I hunted deer in areas where bears weren't roaming. Then eight years ago I started hunting again in the northwestern section of NJ, and again I started seeing bears, maybe one or two a year. Then about 3 years after hunting this area, I would see three bears aday, and each year more and more. With NY to the north, and PA to the west both having bear hunts, those bears made there way to NJ to be safe, and they found heaven, no hunting for them, lots of food, cover, water, etc. Then NJ had there first hunt last year, I was lucky to harvest a bear, 328 harvested and problem bear numbers went down this year, the month of August saw a spike of problems, 30 plus catagory 1 bears. So your state needs to have a hunt, weather or not harvesting 30 bears will do the job I don't know, time will only tell.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

Slice,

Its about time some people start reconizing that fact!!!!!!!:D:D

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

lefty thank you for taking the time and reading my post, im not sure anyone else did i did not know they were going to pair up land owners and the people that pulled the tags that is a great idea, some people just like to jump and reply without reading the post (JBC)and understanding it, then they know it all and going to tell you that the same bear in the trash can at deep creak lake is the same bear in greenridge, i know the bear have a wide range but damn that is crazy, all i was saying is i think they should take out the bears were the problem is and leave the other bears alone,(slicendice) it tdont matter if there are 400 bears or 6, some idoit is going to hit one with the car sooner or later does that mean you got to kill em all so little suzzy dont hit it with her car and damn if want a house with out wildlife in the yard DONT MOVE INTO THE DAMN COUNTRY i mean come on how dumb can ya be to buy a house in the middle of the woods and then want to kill all the animals that were there first,? the real problem is there is to many people in the area never to many wildlife of anykind, and im not an anti as someone said i will kill anything that comes my way for the meat of course, anyway im done

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

Drkill you brought this on yourself.You are posting about this hunt and it is obvious that you have not been following the way it is going to work.Next time you want to jump on the antitrain do your homework first,then again why should you be different then the other antis.
If the scientist say take the bears out of this area and the dnr says take the bears out of this area I gotta believe they know a bit more then you unless you would like to post a copy of your degree in wildlife biology.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

If they have a huntable population, regardless of whether bears are a nuisance or not, I see no reason to not have a bear hunt.

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

yes we do need a bear season trust me when i say we got so many bears hear they need thined out i live 5 mins from deep creek lake i see about 5 to 10 bears a week.. i was also lucky to get a tag to take one and i will take one..

RE: should md really get a bear hunt?
 

According to the MD DNR annual report in 2003 57 bears were killed in MD.

38 roadkill

10 illegal

6 unknown

3 other