Good Luck to all you KY hunters.The Great Outdoors: Black bear season returns to stateBy Geordon T. Howell, Bowling Green Daily News
Sunday, December 13, 2009 Hundreds of sportsmen will make history Saturday as they step into the woods for Kentucky’s first black bear season in more than a century. Much like the successful and storied comebacks of our native deer, turkey and elk, black bears are once again firmly rooted in the Bluegrass after loss of habitat and unregulated hunting led to their demise in the state so long ago.
However, unlike the previously mentioned trio of game animals - which had to be painstakingly restocked from faraway places - our black bears migrated back to their old stomping grounds by themselves. As cut-over timberlands matured and black bear populations in neighboring West Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia expanded, the bruins slowly eased into Kentucky and have flourished.
Since their return, the bears have been monitored and studied by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and by the University of Kentucky, greatly increasing our knowledge of the species. The information gathered supported the legislation needed to create our introductory bear season last January, and now the season is upon us.
“Bears are now well established in eastern Kentucky and research shows that population growth has risen steadily over the last 20 years. ... Kentucky’s bear population can sustain a hunt,” said Steven Dobey, bear program coordinator for the KDFW, in a recent news release.
Any Kentucky resident can hunt bears this Saturday in the bear zone, including Pike, Letcher and Harlan counties, where bear densities are highest. Hunters must have a Kentucky hunting license and $30 bear permit and are advised to review the specific bear regulations in this year’s hunting guide.
Portions of 10 different public hunting areas are open for hunters within the bear hunting area, making it possible for folks without local ties to get in on the action. A strict quota of 10 total bears or five female bears has been set for the entire season. Participating bear hunters must call a KDFW information hot line Saturday night to find out if the season will continue into Dec. 20.
Historically, most females - or sows - are in their winter dens by this time of year, leaving the boars - the male bears - out roaming the hills in search of food. This is why this late December weekend has been chosen for the season. In addition to this precaution, intended to minimize the number of female bears taken, a large sanctuary in Letcher County encompassing the Hensly-Pine WMA - where many of Kentucky’s female bears den - has been placed off-limits to hunting for further protection of the sows.
“Minimizing hunting pressure in this area will protect critical denning habitat for females and greatly assist our ongoing management efforts,” Dobey said in the release.
I am anxious to learn the outcome and hear some success stories of this first bear season. Although I will probably sit out this inaugural season, next year I hope to try my hand at a Kentucky bruin in the eastern reaches of our great state.
Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He may be reached by e-mailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.
http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/12/13/sports/sports4.txt
