# What is your take on allowing the black bear population to expand?



## lampern (Oct 10, 2018)

> Objective: Allow and support geographic expansion of the bear population into suitable, but unoccupied, bear habitat



Is the state of GA too developed or populated for a larger bear population?


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## strothershwacker (Oct 11, 2018)

Northwest Ga has room for more. Walker, Gilmer, Floyd, Chattooga, Dade counties all have room. Between the National Forestry lands, WMAs and large undeveloped private tracts I think the bear would thrive. From Taylor's Ridge to Sand Moutain there's plenty of room bear habitat.


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## Rabun (Oct 11, 2018)

I don't know how you disallow bear expansion.


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## rospaw (Oct 11, 2018)

Gilmer is full! No more room for bears. Wish i still had the picture of the 200 pounder crossing the roundabout on the square. They are EVERYWHERE in gilmer and need thinning out.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Oct 11, 2018)

Do bears read signs?  Will they comply if we create bear-free zones?


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## NorthGeorgiaHunter (Oct 11, 2018)

What we really need is to stop the human expansion.  Too many people now.


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## livinoutdoors (Oct 11, 2018)

lampern said:


> Is the state of GA too developed or populated for a larger bear population?


Most of the people population in georgia is centered around atlanta, augusta, etc... lots of country with low population outside of the mountains n s ga swamps where bears  thrive now. Look at places like new jersey and florida and other yankee states with huge populations and sizable bear populations. Lots of room to expand but why i guess?


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## tree cutter 08 (Oct 11, 2018)

NorthGeorgiaHunter said:


> What we really need is to stop the human expansion.  Too many people now.


Exactly!


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## strothershwacker (Oct 11, 2018)

rospaw said:


> Gilmer is full! No more room for bears. Wish i still had the picture of the 200 pounder crossing the roundabout on the square. They are EVERYWHERE in gilmer and need thinning out.


Ok. Take Gilmer out of the list.


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## lampern (Oct 11, 2018)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Do bears read signs?  Will they comply if we create bear-free zones?



So why would the WRD use the term “allow”?


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## lampern (Oct 11, 2018)

Rabun said:


> I don't know how you disallow bear expansion.



That’s why I find the WRDs language odd.


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## HunterJoe24 (Oct 11, 2018)

How do you allow the population to expand? By practicing management that allows it....

Yes I hope they do. We have one of the lower bear per square miles population


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Oct 11, 2018)

"allow and support" suggests they would take an active approach.  The first thing that comes to mind is relocating trapped bears from high density areas to low.


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## strothershwacker (Oct 11, 2018)

Folks that don't want bear around have never tried black bear black bean chili.


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## strothershwacker (Oct 11, 2018)

NorthGeorgiaHunter said:


> What we really need is to stop the human expansion.  Too many people now.


I'm sure there's a plan for that in the works. Careful what you wish for.


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## lampern (Oct 11, 2018)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> "allow and support" suggests they would take an active approach.  The first thing that comes to mind is relocating trapped bears from high density areas to low.



Only thing I see in the plan regarding relocation is taking a few female bears and releasing them into the central bear population to expand the genetics there.

But I'm not sure its a good idea to encourage bears to expand as far south as I-20


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## transfixer (Oct 11, 2018)

lampern said:


> Is the state of GA too developed or populated for a larger bear population?



   Unless they are talking about middle or south Georgia,  yes, I would think it is,  they are already showing up in Acworth, Dallas and other suburbs,  if the population continues to grow in N Ga  it will become a problem when they start rummaging through all the trash cans in the subdivisions.


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## Christian hughey (Oct 11, 2018)

transfixer said:


> Unless they are talking about middle or south Georgia,  yes, I would think it is,  they are already showing up in Acworth, Dallas and other suburbs,  if the population continues to grow in N Ga  it will become a problem when they start rummaging through all the trash cans in the subdivisions.


Rummage my way I will keep an arrow knocked!


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## Christian hughey (Oct 11, 2018)

I hunt the Oconee national forest in jasper county on the ocmulgee river.  There is a growing population not far in twiggs co. down river approx 30 mi. You would think with the populations stabilizing North, mid, and south ga we would see some. Couple years ago I thought I saw one right at dark and told myself it had to be a hog but the way it moved told me bear. This past year I read an article in gon about the bear cub found by bird hunters in jasper co. on the Oconee. Kinda confirmed my bear theory. So in my opinion i believe they slowly but surely are expanding and another game animal in the woods down here is ok with me. My compliant would be the impact it would have on our deer fawn recruitment by another predator roaming the deer woods.


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## 308 (Oct 26, 2018)

Livestock and deer lovers aren’t fond of bears...


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## Rich Kaminski (Oct 27, 2018)

Way too many bear in Twiggs county. I see them all the time.


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 29, 2018)

transfixer said:


> Unless they are talking about middle or south Georgia,  yes, I would think it is,  they are already showing up in Acworth, Dallas and other suburbs,  if the population continues to grow in N Ga  it will become a problem when they start rummaging through all the trash cans in the subdivisions.


They already are. ! Have neen for a number of years. They are becoming a problem. A write up in the local paper talked about Sky Valley. Talked about them breaking into homes and such. One family was watching TV one night. Noise in the kitchen, they thought their dog was in the tater chips. It was a bear, sitting in the floor munching away !! Another one broke the window out and tore the kitchen ip at another house. Bird feeders are outlawed up there certain times of the year.


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 29, 2018)

NorthGeorgiaHunter said:


> What we really need is to stop the human expansion.  Too many people now.


The movie/show "Purge" comes to mind !


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 29, 2018)

I am hoping they start allowing a bear hunt, a few days a year, to use dogs to take them.


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## Timberman (Oct 29, 2018)

They're in north Washington county. Common sight on game cam and they love tearing up feeders


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Oct 29, 2018)

Folks don't want to hear it and I'm not going to discuss the sportsmanship involved, but allowing baiting would definitely increase the bear harvest.


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## Timberman (Oct 29, 2018)

^^^^^^


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 29, 2018)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Folks don't want to hear it and I'm not going to discuss the sportsmanship involved, but allowing baiting would definitely increase the bear harvest.


I would bet the baiting of deer will increase the number of bears being taken.


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## jbogg (Oct 29, 2018)

greg_n_clayton said:


> I would bet the baiting of deer will increase the number of bears being taken.



^^^^^
This.  The poor mast production this year coupled with baiting now being legal (and I am aware it’s only for deer) is a recipe for a lot of bears to go down. I’m predicting a record harvest this year.


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## KyDawg (Oct 29, 2018)

transfixer said:


> Unless they are talking about middle or south Georgia,  yes, I would think it is,  they are already showing up in Acworth, Dallas and other suburbs,  if the population continues to grow in N Ga  it will become a problem when they start rummaging through all the trash cans in the subdivisions.



Seems to me that the Bear population in South Ga is expanding to counties where it was almost unheard of just a few years ago.


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 29, 2018)

They are breaking into people's houses for crying out loud !! But the people in the flatlands can take them with dogs !! I often wonder just how many they got down there !! Or is it a political thang where politicians like to go down there where the land is flatter and they don't have to work as hard !!


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## KyDawg (Oct 29, 2018)

greg_n_clayton said:


> Explain yourself please, from the great state of Kentucky !! The bear population in mountains has plentiful fo years !! Why is hunting bear with dogs in the South allowed and not in the North ?? Are they that plentiful down there ?? Apparently sir...you have no knowledge of what is going on here in in the mountains !! They are everywhere !! Anyone that wants to kill a bear...there is no excuse !! Bear population ain't too far behind the deer....at this point (it seems). But...baiting is allowed now (for deer)....so time will tell !!



Huh, what are you talking about. I did not say one word about what is going on in the Mountains, because I have no idea. I was speaking only of South Georgia and I have been there at least 6 times this year. Most of my friends are hunters down that way and have seen them on their trail cams and some have seen them alive in Tift, Thomas and Colquitt county. One got killed on I75 in Tift County. I do know that seeing a bear in those Counties was non existent not that many years ago. I also said nothing about hunting them with dogs.


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## KyDawg (Oct 29, 2018)

And Greg, I have never said Kentucky was a great state. It is okay but it is not Georgia, esp. South Georgia.


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## Lukikus2 (Oct 29, 2018)

And folks told me I was crazy in the 80's with bear sightings. Had the city warn us a bear was in the hood. I had already noticed that from the trashcans. Hit my neighborhood real good. Damage to one home. Probably pet food.


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## Lukikus2 (Oct 29, 2018)

Why any one want a animal to be pushed into a totally a different geographic area by non-population control, then complain about them when they come.


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## greg_n_clayton (Oct 31, 2018)

KyDawg said:


> Huh, what are you talking about. I did not say one word about what is going on in the Mountains, because I have no idea. I was speaking only of South Georgia and I have been there at least 6 times this year. Most of my friends are hunters down that way and have seen them on their trail cams and some have seen them alive in Tift, Thomas and Colquitt county. One got killed on I75 in Tift County. I do know that seeing a bear in those Counties was non existent not that many years ago. I also said nothing about hunting them with dogs.


Sorry sir ! I was punching at ya. Didn't mean anything, nothing meant as a attack or such !! As far as the dog hunting, I dont understand why it allowed in the South and not the North !! Deer in the South is plentiful !! Deer in the North compared to the South would very one sided on the numbers. I suppose that is why they allow hunting deer with dogs, because there is so many ! I dont agree with the baiting in the North, but that is my opinion, because there are so few  !! Bear..well...time will tell. But like has been said, the baitng will cause a record number of bear taken !!


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## KyDawg (Oct 31, 2018)

I understand Greg, I also know 0 about bear hunting. I dont know what is going on in South Ga, other than Bears are being seen in places, that they have not been seen forever.


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## antharper (Nov 1, 2018)

I have a farmer friend in Bleckley co and he just recently told me he seen 14 at one time in a peanut field at night


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Nov 1, 2018)

antharper said:


> I have a farmer friend in Bleckley co and he just recently told me he seen 14 at one time in a peanut field at night


Is he sure those weren't hogs?


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## Nicodemus (Nov 1, 2018)

Southwest Georgia is starting to have bears show up. Seminole County is getting as they expand their range out of the Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida Panhandle. That area is overrun with bears.


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## NCHillbilly (Nov 1, 2018)

greg_n_clayton said:


> Explain yourself please, from the great state of Kentucky !! The bear population in mountains has plentiful fo years !! Why is hunting bear with dogs in the South allowed and not in the North ?? Are they that plentiful down there ?? Apparently sir...you have no knowledge of what is going on here in in the mountains !! They are everywhere !! Anyone that wants to kill a bear...there is no excuse !! Bear population ain't too far behind the deer....at this point (it seems). But...baiting is allowed now (for deer)....so time will tell !!


Be careful what you wish for. Here in NC where you can bear hunt with dogs, it basically means that it's almost impossible to kill one without dogs on public land. I don't have the time or money or energy to keep up a pack of bear dogs any more, so I basically just don't bear hunt any more, even though I live in an area infested with them. From opening morning when the first dog barks, the bears pretty much go completely nocturnal.

I could easily kill one in the deer bow or muzzleloader seasons every year, but bear season doesn't open until they are over here.


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## greg_n_clayton (Nov 1, 2018)

NCHillbilly said:


> Be careful what you wish for. Here in NC where you can bear hunt with dogs, it basically means that it's almost impossible to kill one without dogs on public land. I don't have the time or money or energy to keep up a pack of bear dogs any more, so I basically just don't bear hunt any more, even though I live in an area infested with them. From opening morning when the first dog barks, the bears pretty much go completely nocturnal.
> 
> I could easily kill one in the deer bow or muzzleloader seasons every year, but bear season doesn't open until they are over here.


You all have a fairly long bear hunt with dogs dont't ya ? I don't have the health either !! Only the younger guys go to the dogs for the the most part ! I prefer pugs. They ain't gona run like a bear !! They will run for miles. The baiting is gona thin them out, but the bear hunters are only asking for a couple days, or maybe 2 2 day hunts.


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## lampern (Nov 4, 2018)

They legalized baiting in NC a few years ago to help thin em out.

Bears are even showing up now in Charlotte and Raleigh....


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## kinross (Nov 5, 2018)

rospaw said:


> Gilmer is full! No more room for bears. Wish i still had the picture of the 200 pounder crossing the roundabout on the square. They are EVERYWHERE in gilmer and need thinning out.


I agree, my half acre food/weed plot has so many  piles of bear crap, you would think someone is grazing horses on it


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## ejm (Nov 8, 2018)

I have never understood why a different management approach was taken toward bears, versus deer and turkey. When there were only small, isolated populations left of deer and turkey, they were protected, relocated, and reintroduced statewide. 
     While I realize the North Georgia population is doing just fine, and even expanding despite the DNR's effort, I'm speaking more toward the middle and south populations. The DNR strategy seems to be one of containment, versus allowing even for natural expansion, much less relocation. 
     While I understand bears present more challenges than deer, from a human conflict standpoint, they are no less a part of the natural order. As conservationists, we should be promoting woodlands with all the natural players that are practical. As hunters we should not be pushing for increasing hunting opportunities by increasing the pressure on isolated populations, but by expanding distribution to provide increased opportunities across the state. 
     Think about it this way, if they had done the same thing with deer or turkey. Would we be happy about increased hunting, if they were absent from the majority of the state? A one day middle Georgia season is ridiculous, if you can only hunt a species one day out the year, you shouldn't be hunting it. Pretty much same for south Georgia. In north Georgia, rather than increase the limit to two, they should have started relocating problem animals to areas unoccupied by bear. Sorry, for the long post, but I've been baffled by this for some time. Thanks ,


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