Debate is raging in the Colorado Statehouse about a potential 1 month extension of the Black Bear hunting Season....The Colorado Dept of Wildlife feels that human/bear conflicts are not about there being too many bears but rather about expansive human population growth and energy development encroaching on Bear habitat.......... Cubs nurse with Mother Bears right on through early Summer so even if the Legislature votes to expand the hunting season, Wildlife Officials would tag the Month of August onto the hunting calendar but not allow hunting of Bears from March through July

Colorado Closer to Extending Bear Hunting Season

The Division of Wildlife says it'll open hunting for black bears in August if a proposed bill passes.

By Kylee Perez,
In Colorado, a proposed bill to extend black bear hunting season has been met with opposition from environmental groups and support from the agricultural community.  House Bill 1294, sponsored by Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, would allow the Division of Wildlife to remove restrictions on hunting bears between March 1 and Sept. 1 in the state, a legislative response to increasing conflicts between humans and bears. The bill won agricultural-committee approval 8 to 5 on April 18.  "Conflicts are not a function of more bears on the ground, although we do believe we may have more on the ground," said Randy Hampton, statewide spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Wildlife. "There are other factors at play, such as increasing human population, increasing energy development and increasing recreational use."
Ranchers and others involved with agriculture continue to struggle with bears, particularly in the spring when black bears may kill calves and sheep, said Shawn Martini, spokesperson for the Colorado Farm Bureau.
The restrictions on bear hunting were first introduced in 1992, when 70 percent of Colorado voters approved ending the spring hunt, primarily over concerns over cubs, Hampton said.  Bear cubs are born in late January and nurse until mid- to late-August, said Wendy Keefover-Ring, Carnivore Protection Director at Wild Earth Guardians.  "Hunters can't tell the difference between male and female bears," Keefover-Ring said. "By shooting a female bear, you can inadvertently orphan the cub."
The Division of Wildlife has not taken a position on the bill. If granted the ability to remove restrictions, the division says it would not bring back the spring hunting season, but instead consider allowing the season to start in August, as opposed to September, Hampton said.  In August, he said it's typical for conflicts to become more frequent and an earlier hunt could help alleviate that, Hampton said.  "Instead of our staff, who are already over-taxed, spending the late summer month putting down bears, our preference would be to allow sportsmen to take those bears in a regulated hunting season," he added.
The earlier season could also help the agricultural community, said Shawn Martini, spokesperson for the Colorado Farm Bureau. "Opening the season up in August would be an excellent aid for controlling those conflict bears," Martini said. "It would be nice to have it in spring because you have more calves and lambs that are being born, but we have to balance concerns about species health and sows with cubs against the threat posed by the bears."

But some wildlife advocates believe changing human behavior, not hunting, is the key to managing human-bear conflicts.  "It's a human responsibility issue, bottom line," Keefover-Ring said. "It's getting local ordinances where people who live in bear country don't put out trash until the morning of pickup, don't put out bird feeders and don't put out dog food. Until we do those things, we are going to continue to have conflicts with bears."

The Division of Wildlife will continue to manage bears with whatever tools they are given by the legislature, Hampton said.  "Our goal is to manage the wild bear to a healthy thriving population and to manage conflict bears in a way that errs on the side of human safety," Hampton said.  "And we can do both."