24 Bears taken in Georgia's first public hunt on November 12...........Wildlife Officials estimate about 300 black bears reside in the 3-County Houston, Twiggs and Bibb area .........Of the 24 bruins killed, half were females, something that many Environmentalists feel are far too many in a small recovering population which has taken a 100 years to grow to where it is today

Georgia bear hunt raises concerns

By Associated Press

MACON — About a tenth of the Middle Georgia black bear population was killed when the first-ever open bear season was held in three counties last month. Although some wildlife advocates are raising concerns about harm to the bear population, state officials say the hunt will be held the same way next year.A population of about 300 bears, centered in Houston and Twiggs counties, was a key driver behind Georgia's $29 million purchase of 10,000 acres of the Oaky Woods Wildlife Management area in Houston County a year ago. But as both bear and human populations grow, the state Department of Natural Resources has fielded an increasing number of complaints about nuisance bears from residents of Houston and Bibb counties.

For more than a decade, hunters competed for permits to participate in a quota bear hunt at the Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area in Twiggs and Bleckley counties. In recent years, that hunt was moved from December to November, when bears are more active. On average, one bear was shot there every three years, said Bobby Bond, a senior wildlife biologist and specialist on Middle Georgia's bears for the DNR.

But this year, after a public comment period, the state settled on a one-day open season on private lands in Bibb, Houston and Twiggs counties. Thirty-four bears were killed Nov. 12, half of them females, and all in an area near Tarversville in Twiggs County, Bond said.

"We killed too many bears, especially females," said John Trussell, an outdoor writer and founder of Save Oaky Woods. "There were too many hunters in that area, and there was a lot of baiting going on in that area. ... We shouldn't have a bunch of folks crowding into one small spot and shooting every bear that walks across."

Trussell, a longtime hunter, contends that the state should switch to a quota system and perhaps shift the hunt back to December to protect more female bears."It's taken us 100 years to get where we're at," he said. "It's better to start slow."

Six bears were killed at a single hunt club. Other hunt clubs had three and two bears harvested, Bond said."Anytime you get six bears on one property, that's a lot," DNR ranger Cpl. Robert Stillwell said.
Bond said the most bears ever harvested in one day at the Ocmulgee WMA quota hunts was two. He said the only time he has ever heard of bears congregating is around food sources, such as in fields where peanuts are being harvested.

Hunting bears over bait is a misdemeanor "of a high and aggravated nature." DNR rangers issued six citations related to two bears killed by hunters who were using bait, Stillwell said.He said the illegally shot bears included the largest bear killed that day, a 436-pound male, and a 250-pound male.Rangers caught hunters in the act on two different leased properties.Each citation for hunting bears over bait can involve fines of up to $1,500 plus restitution of up to $1,500, but the penalty will be up to a judge in Twiggs County Probate Court, Stillwell said.
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GEORGIA BLACK BEARS

Considered the largest, native terrestrial mammal currently living in Georgia, the black bear (Ursus americanus) is a keystone species that symbolizes the wild qualities of the state.  Black bears can typically be found in three distinct regions of Georgia The North Georgia population, is found in the mountains in the northern part of the state.  This population of bears is generally found in Tennessee and North Carolina as well as Georgia.  The Central Georgia population IS generally associated with the Ocmulgee River drainage system in the central part of the state just south of Macon.  The majority of the bears in this population appear to be found east of the Ocmulgee River in Twiggs County but can also be found in a number of surrounding counties.  In South Georgia, the bear population  centers in and around the Okefenokee Swamp.  Bears in this population are also found in the northern regions of Florida associated with the Okefenokee Swamp.


Keep in mind that although Georgia’s black bear populations are typically found in these 3 areas, they will range over larger areas in search of food, new territory, or maybe just because they like to wander. Occasionally, bears show up quite unexpectedly in many parts of the state not considered bear territory including metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Macon, Valdosta, or Tifton. Refer to the Black Bear Fact Sheet(supplemental .pdf file) for specific range, habitat, physical characteristic, diet, nuisance, and bear/human conflict descriptions.