65 bears are taken as Maryland Black Bear hunt is now closed........This # is a good 15 bears north of the prior 7 year average

Maryland Black Bear Hunt Closed

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Oakland, Md. --(Ammoland.com)- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) closed the 2011 black bear hunting season at 9 p.m. today with hunters reporting 65 bears to mandatory check stations in Western Maryland. DNR opened the season Monday, October 24 in Garrett and Allegany counties.

"Maryland's black bear hunters enjoyed another safe and successful hunting season," said Harry Spiker, Game Mammal Section Leader for DNR's Wildlife & Heritage Service. "The cool, mild weather during the first two days kept hunters in the woods and helped DNR meet its management goal in four days."

The average live weight of the bears taken this year was 154 pounds. Colton Lucas, 12, of Kitzmiller, Md., took the largest bear of the season, a 376 pound male.
The hunt by the numbers:

• 65 bears taken
• 59 from Garrett County, 6 from Allegany County
• 154 lbs. average weight
• 69% of the bears were taken on private land
• 533 hunters participated in the hunt and 3,915 hunters applied for a permit
• 55% of the successful hunters were residents of Garrett and Allegany counties