Considered the "most successful reintroduction of a large carnivore in history, not just Arkansas and U.S., but the world", Arkansas reintroduced Black Bears into its woodlands in the 1950's and today some 5000 of the bruins call the state home...............Prior to Europeans populating the state, some 50,000 Black Bears lived here........Clearing of the land for farms and housing and overhunting virtually drove the Bears to near extirpation................As Black bears usually mate every other year and are 3 or 4 years old before they mate, heavy persecution of the population can quickly lead to a near total "blink out"..........So it is ironic that Arkansas was long nicknamed THE BEAR STATE, with residents in the 19th and early 20th centuries never dreaming that they could extinguish such a large population.............Whereas State Game Commissions always focus on hunting as the end result of animal rewilding, perhaps one day management of Arkansas Bears will also take into account the desires of hikers, naturalists, campers and even those who do none of these activities.............Additionally and most importantly, this Blog subscribes to the paradigm that carnivore populations self regulate themselves based on their territory requirements and prey populations and should be managed based on the ecological function that they provide our forests, fields and waterways, not solely on the monetary rewards that States derive from selling hunting license fees

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.arkansasmatters.com/news/local-news/black-bear-population-rising-after-near-extinction/715857304&ct=ga&cd=CAEYBSoUMTUxNTk2OTExMjQ2MDI4NjUyNjEyGjAzMWJmZmM1MjYxMzc1ZGE6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNE6wqotNZykSODIJuPaGUaZD4b-PQ

Black Bear Population Rising After Near Extinction

By: STEPHANIE SHARP 

Posted: May 17, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -  It's that time of year when
 more Arkansans are looking outside their windows
, and they may be greeted by an unwelcomed,
unfamiliar guest: the black bear. 

 The black bears’ growth in population since the
late 50's is considered to be one of the greatest
reintroductions of a large carnivore species in the
 history of the United States. 

 Myron Means is a man with quite the job description.

 "I'm the Large Carnivore Program Coordinator for Arkansas
 Game and Fish," said Means.

 What he studies is just about as big as his title, as Means is
known as "The Bear Guy."

 "I've been working with bears in Arkansas for over 20
 years," Means said.

 His many studies and data have helped the Black Bear
 population amplify in Arkansas. This is similar to hundreds
of years ago when bears were bountiful in the state, which
helped to bring along a unique nickname to accompany
 the Natural state…. 

  "Arkansas was unofficially known as ‘The Bear State,
’" Means said.

But over-hunting diminished the bear population quickly.

 "They thought we may have had 50 bears 
left in the state," said Means.

 The state legislature went into action to slow
 the exponential decrease in the population,
 by  putting a halt to bear hunting in Arkansas.

 In the late 50's, the state released Black
Bears back into the habitat and the population
 flourished. 

 "To this day the reintroduction effort is still
considered the most successful reintroduction
 of a large carnivore in history, not just
 Arkansas and the U.S. , but in the world,"
said Means. 

 Currently, there are about 5,000 Black
 Bears in Arkansas, which has allotted a bear 
hunting season throughout nearly the entire
 state, although two main regions are still missing out. 

  "I'm hoping that before I retire we have a bear
 season in south central and south eastern Arkansas." 

 During the Spring, Means says many people
notice bears in back yards or just wondering
 the neighborhood. 

 "It's like a young teenager out on their own.
 They kind of get into trouble, they don't mean to,
 but they get into trouble because they don't know
 any better," Means said.

 He says they aren't dangerous, but they are a nuisance.

  "They wonder and wonder and they don't have an
 established home range and they are just trying to
 find a place where they can find food and where they
 don't get picked on by other bears," Means said.

 Nuisances or not,  he says it's good to see the population
 strive again and make Arkansas not only the Natural State,
 but the Bear State as well. 

 The state of Arkansas has just had its 36th bear season.
 State officials say they will soon start studying the bear
 population in south central and south eastern Arkansas
 in hopes of opening a bear season there in the near future. 

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http://www.agfc.com/resources/Publications/blackbear_factsheet.pdf

• Up to 90 percent of a bear’s diet is 
made up 
 of fruits, berries, twigs and grasses.
The rest 
 is typically made up of insects. Bears 
usually 
 have very little meat in their diets.

• A female black bear (sow) may have
 a litter 
 of one to five cubs. The average litter
 size in 
 Arkansas is two or three cubs.

• Black bears usually mate every 
other year 
 and are 3 or 4 years old before 
they mate.

• A sow’s gestation period is seven
 months. 
 The blastocyst (a tiny ball of cells that 
 becomes an embryo) does not “attach”
 until 
 November and cubs are born in January.

• Cubs usually stay with their mothers
 until 
 spring of their second year.

• Black bears search for dens
 in November 
 and December in Arkansas.

• Arkansas black bears do not truly
 hibernate, 
 although they go into a deep sleep 
during 
 part of winter.