Bear Hunting

[blindset61]

I saw on the web where the OK bear season starts this week-also saw where they charge their hunters $100 for a permit to go after one.  Sure makes Ar look good with out being able to hunt them with our license cost.

I saw very few white oak acorns on the ground while scouting this weekend, but lots of black gum berries.  I think the wo acorns are right on the verge of starting to fall in the high ground.

Deer and bear tracks were present in all areas where white oaks were found.

[DeerSlayer]

I have never been bear hunting. Do they eat acorns and black gum berries?

[Wizard]

I have never been bear hunting. Do they eat acorns and black gum berries?

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission...

Bear Feeding Habits

Little food is available after bears emerge from their dens in spring. They lose weight during this period until later in the summer when blackberries, pokeberries and blueberries ripen. During autumn, bears feed heavily on fat-rich acorns and hickory nuts and commonly gain 100 pounds or more during this short time. This extra fat readies them for the rigors of winter denning. Consequently, acorn and other nut crops are vital for bears.

Black bears have large canine teeth typical of meat eaters, but their diet is mostly fruit, berries and nuts, with the majority of their "meat" being insects. When natural foods are scarce (usually in early summer), they may overcome their fear of people and seek food around human inhabitations. If a hungry, roaming bear finds an easy meal of pet food, garbage, or honey, it may hang around long enough to cause serious problems for the property owner or itself.

Source: AGFC

[blindset61]

I'm sure no authority on bears or bear hunting but the AR G&FC has done a phenomenal job of getting these animals reintroduced in AR.  I've read some of the studies they have published and the studies give good account of the habits of the animals.  At this time, there are bear in pretty much the entire Ouachitas, including Winona and most of the Ozarks.

The bear eat soft mast (berries, pokeweed, wild cherry, etc.) in spring and summer and fatten up on acorns, hickory nuts (hard mast) in the fall prior to denning.  Some of the bears don't den at all but all of them are pretty dependent on a good hard mast crop, prefering white oak acorns.

The fact that Arkansas has the vast resourse of the National Forests we have, and the fact that the timber in them is maturing and producing the foods the bears need, is what has enabled the reintroduction to work so well.

You can check the web for the Natural Resource Agencies in most all the eastern states and they most all have recovering bear populations similar to Arkansas, and some also have good recommendations on how to still hunt.

[Kevin]

They used to call Arkansas "the bear state" back in the early 20th century because there were so many black bears here. Settlers mowed down forests, overhunted, and before you knew it, they were scarce. Definitely glad to have them back.

[buckaroo]

Most of the thrift stores can not keep pastries anymore because the bear guys are feeding them 4 or 5 55 gallon drums a week of this stuff and i  have seen pictures they are bigger than any you see them hunt on the sportsman channel there are some huge bear just northeast of Clinton around Allred.

[blindset61]

A fellow has been advertising an Ar Bear Hunting group lately.  They are based out of Mena and have come out with a first promo magazine that you can find around different sporting good places.  One of the articles is about a hunt in the Clinton area and a couple of large bears killed, last year i guess.

[Wizard]

A fellow has been advertising an Ar Bear Hunting group lately.  They are based out of Mena and have come out with a first promo magazine that you can find around different sporting good places.  One of the articles is about a hunt in the Clinton area and a couple of large bears killed, last year i guess.

The organization is ABBA (Arkansas Black Bear Association).  The magazine is called Arkansas Bear and Buck Journal.  It is a great read.

I highly recommend joining ABBA and giving the magazine a look.

http://www.arbear.org

[Fly Tier]

Thanks Wizard for the site I'm thanking about joining the ABBA.