# NC to open bear sanctuaries to hunting



## lampern (Jan 17, 2022)

Looks like the NC wildlife folks might open several bear sanctuaries in NC to limited hunting.

Dogs would be allowed but there would be a permit drawing system to hunt.

I know some folks travel to NC to run dogs.


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## Aztec (Jan 18, 2022)

Something must be done about the western NC bear population.  Bears are everywhere.  City of Asheville has a large numbers of bears in town. The  current regulations don't allow enough bear to be killed.
On my property in Haywood county bears are a constant problem.  Deer feeders are impossible to maintain,  My apple orchard (50 trees) has been destroyed, constantly trying to get into my cabin, and etc.  The opening day of the NC western deer season I saw 6 bear that morning.  Bear hunting is allowed on my and the surrounding property but nothing is helping.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 18, 2022)

Aztec said:


> Something must be done about the western NC bear population.  Bears are everywhere.  City of Asheville has a large numbers of bears in town. The  current regulations don't allow enough bear to be killed.
> On my property in Haywood county bears are a constant problem.  Deer feeders are impossible to maintain,  My apple orchard (50 trees) has been destroyed, constantly trying to get into my cabin, and etc.  The opening day of the NC western deer season I saw 6 bear that morning.  Bear hunting is allowed on my and the surrounding property but nothing is helping.


Yep. I'm in Haywood, too. I could kill a half dozen in muzzleloader season every year. As long as NC keeps reserving the bear hunting strictly for hound hunters, the problem will continue. I would love to see deer early archery and ML opened to bear, with no dogs allowed until the regular bear opener.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 18, 2022)

lampern said:


> Looks like the NC wildlife folks might open several bear sanctuaries in NC to limited hunting.
> 
> Dogs would be allowed but there would be a permit drawing system to hunt.
> 
> I know some folks travel to NC to run dogs.


It's already been going on for a few years on a couple of them.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jan 18, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> It's already been going on for a few years on a couple of them.


Yep.  I've encountered bear hunters more than once on a sanctuary "looking for their dogs." One time they were driving behind a locked gate looking for a lost gps collar.  Right.


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## NCMTNHunter (Jan 18, 2022)

I’ve hunted and fished one of these sanctuary’s all my life. The problem, more so than the population, is that the bear have become conditioned to humans.  I’m not as concerned with reducing the numbers as I am putting a little natural fear of people back in them.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 18, 2022)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Yep.  I've encountered bear hunters more than once on a sanctuary "looking for their dogs." One time they were driving behind a locked gate looking for a lost gps collar.  Right.


No, I'm talking about limited legal hunts. Mt. Mitchell Bear Sanctuary and I think a couple of other ones in western NC have had draw hunts a few times.


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## Doug B. (Jan 18, 2022)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Yep.  I've encountered bear hunters more than once on a sanctuary "looking for their dogs." One time they were driving behind a locked gate looking for a lost gps collar.  Right.


I have been on bear sanctuary looking for dogs.  I don't have a key to get behind a locked gate though.  I also leave my gun in the truck if I have to go on sanctuary.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jan 18, 2022)

Doug B. said:


> I have been on bear sanctuary looking for dogs.  I don't have a key to get behind a locked gate though.  I also leave my gun in the truck if I have to go on sanctuary.


Oh, I'm fully aware that there are legitimate reasons to go find a dog.  I grew up in a houndsman's family.  

I'm talking about guys using that as an excuse when caught on the sanctuary.


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## pjciii (Jan 18, 2022)

The Bear Sanctuary in my back yard NC has permit hound hunts. Something Like the monday closet to oct 15 or nov 15th. I dont pay much attention to it. Think there were 2 hunts i could hear last year. Only encountered one hunter looking for a hound. Hounds dont respect property lines and posted property and the hunter can retrieve it if they happen to come up on your deck and go to sleep.


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## Doug B. (Jan 18, 2022)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Oh, I'm fully aware that there are legitimate reasons to go find a dog.  I grew up in a houndsman's family.
> 
> I'm talking about guys using that as an excuse when caught on the sanctuary.


I understood that and was not arguing with you. I was just stating the facts.  People abuse the priviledge they have in all aspects of hunting.  Whether it be trespassing,  littering,  or disobeying any or all game laws.


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## Professor (Jan 18, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> Yep. I'm in Haywood, too. I could kill a half dozen in muzzleloader season every year. As long as NC keeps reserving the bear hunting strictly for hound hunters, the problem will continue. I would love to see deer early archery and ML opened to bear, with no dogs allowed until the regular bear opener.


Eventually one of the southern states with bears is going to have to wrestle with the idea of a spring hunt.


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## lampern (Jan 18, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> No, I'm talking about limited legal hunts. Mt. Mitchell Bear Sanctuary and I think a couple of other ones in western NC have had draw hunts a few times.



Mt Mitchell does have draw hunts


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## Doug B. (Jan 18, 2022)

Professor said:


> Eventually one of the southern states with bears is going to have to wrestle with the idea of a spring hunt.


North Carolina has a relatively long dog season.  I would think that more bears are taken during that season than would be taken during a spring still hunt season.  


Disclaimer: I am not a biologist!


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## NCMTNHunter (Jan 18, 2022)

Our state wide bear harvest the last three years have been…

2019 - 3,476
2020 - 3,748
2021 - 3,659

For the mountains it was…

2019 - 1290
2020 - 1429
2021 - 1230

The trick is that bear have gotten so good at living in residential areas that hunting regulation isn’t as effective of a management tool as it was 30 years ago when most of the bear were in the back country.

For example Buncombe (Asheville) and Haywood (Waynesville) are two of the most populated counties in the western end of the state. In 2000 those two counties bear harvest was 12 and 32 respectively. In 2021 they were 86 and 122.

Clay and Graham are two of the least populated counties and their harvest was 50 and 62 in 2000, and 34 and 52 in 2021.

I do think more archery/muzzleloader opportunities would help this.


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## lampern (Jan 18, 2022)

In most towns you can't hunt or discharge a "weapon" so bow and muzzleloading seasons would have no impact.


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## NCMTNHunter (Jan 19, 2022)

I’m not talking about hunting in town. Just the areas of these counties aren’t big blocks of Forest service. The places that consist of 5 to 100 acre parcels where there isn’t room to run dogs.


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## lampern (Jan 19, 2022)

Its funny the NC wildlife folks won't do what it takes to control a growing bear population but they will keep shooting down a declining deer population in areas.

I'd be happy if they got rid of sanctuary program.

It makes no sense to have bear sanctuaries if you are worried about too many bears.

They opened a couple sanctuaries to limited hunting and stopped until now.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 19, 2022)

NCMTNHunter said:


> Our state wide bear harvest the last three years have been…
> 
> 2019 - 3,476
> 2020 - 3,748
> ...


Yep.


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## Throwback (Jan 20, 2022)

Great news !


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## lampern (Feb 24, 2022)

Lots of opposition to this idea. Remains to be seen what happens.


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## lampern (Mar 1, 2022)

It was adopted



> Another rule that received significant public comment involved limited permit-only bear hunts in Panthertown-Bonas Retreat, Standing Indian and Pisgah bear sanctuaries. After careful consideration, the rule passed unanimously. The Commission also voted to amend the name of these areas from Designated Bear Sanctuaries to Designated Bear Management Areas. Both changes are consistent with the N.C. Black Bear Management Plan.



https://www.ncwildlife.org/News/wildlife-commission-adopts-proposed-rules-for-2022-23


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## NCMTNHunter (Mar 1, 2022)

lampern said:


> It was adopted
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.ncwildlife.org/News/wildlife-commission-adopts-proposed-rules-for-2022-23



Passed unanimously!


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## Whit90 (Jun 3, 2022)

Just saw that there is a bill being introduced that would override the decision to open the bear management areas and not allow any hunting opportunities.


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 3, 2022)

I think the time when bear sanctuaries were needed in western NC is long gone. There are bears everywhere, more every year. We already have a huge bear sanctuary spanning most of WNC where no hunting is allowed -the GSM National Park.


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## NCMTNHunter (Jun 3, 2022)

This is an article I wrote in support. I also submitted a trimmed down version of this as my comment to the commission. Pretty well sums it up I think….

This is a long read but an important one for NC Sportsmen.

Opening Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah, and Standing Indian Sanctuaries to Bear Hunting   

January 31st will be the last day of public comment for this year’s hunting and fishing regulations in North Carolina.  https://www.research.net/r/WRCAnnualCycle.  One of the major changes on the list this year is the possibility of opening up Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah, and Standing Indian Bear Sanctuaries to a limited permit regulated bear hunt.  It is important that all of us sportsmen comment in support of this hunt.

Contrary to the gas lighting that is going on by anti-hunting groups this is a good wildlife management move.  The sanctuary system was set up to meet a goal, not to remain in place in perpetuity.  I look at it as something similar to the endangered species act.  When there is a need, a species goes on the list and is given protection until it is recovered and there is a plan in place for the species to remain viable.  When that happens, the species comes off the list and it is considered a conservation victory.  What we are seeing today is a conservation victory for the bear population in western North Carolina.  The sanctuary system has done its job and it is now time to start taking the steps to meet new management objectives.   

Decades ago, larger tracts of land, along with a lower human population, and local culture provided a landscape where bear were hunted everywhere.  Large expanses of private land were hunted the same as public land.  Today that is not the case.  The large pieces of private land have been broken up and posted No Trespassing creating a landscape where bear cannot be effectively hunted.  Especially with dogs.  This has created large amounts of unofficial sanctuary that didn’t exist decades ago.  Bear populations have rebounded beyond expectation and the objectives now are to stabilize the population. Here in the mountains hunting with hounds is the most effective tool keep population numbers in check. 

One of the main arguments I hear against bear hunting in these areas, specifically Panthertown-Bonas Defeat (or Greenland as locals have called it for hundreds of years), is that it doesn’t fit with the traditional use of the area. When these groups say traditional use, they are referring to the last 20 years or so.  The fact of the matter is that this area is rich with hunting and fishing culture.  Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers bear hunted that country back when it was owned by Moltz Lumber company and before.  Bonas Defeat was named in honor of a bear dog that was lost in that area.  And even if it weren’t historically significant, bear hunting does not keep anyone else from using the forest in the manner that they enjoy.

It is apparent from the comments I’ve seen that the people opposing this permit hunt aren’t interested in the science, or the bear populations.  They simply don’t want to share our public lands with hunters.  Comment after comment reads that these places are for hikers and families, and how dangerous it would be for them to have to share with hunters.  They are forgetting, or they are oblivious to the fact that you can already hunt anything but bear in these areas and they are already sharing them with hunters.  Same goes for the rest of the US Forest Service land that we all use. 

This is an important time for NCWRC to make decisions based on sound wildlife management.  Making decisions based on pressure from people with an anti-hunting agenda can set a dangerous precedent that will damage to future of hunting and wildlife management in this state.  If you are interested in hunting, fishing or just being outdoors.  Go to  https://www.research.net/r/WRCAnnualCycle and support this change.  You don’t even have to make a comment, but its better if you do. Just select the support checkbox.  To comment on this issue specifically go to Land and Water Access Proposals and it is listed as G13 Bear.


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## Throwback (Jun 3, 2022)

Funny how the left always say “follow the science” till it’s something they’re opposed to then that’s out the window


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## fishfryer (Jun 3, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> I think the time when bear sanctuaries were needed in western NC is long gone. There are bears everywhere, more every year. We already have a huge bear sanctuary spanning most of WNC where no hunting is allowed -the GSM National Park.


??


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## lampern (Jun 3, 2022)

Throwback said:


> Funny how the left always say “follow the science” till it’s something they’re opposed to then that’s out the window



Actually there are hunters who apparently oppose this as well.


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## Throwback (Jun 3, 2022)

lampern said:


> Actually there are hunters who apparently oppose this as well.


No doubt. We are our own worst enemies.


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## lampern (Jun 3, 2022)

Throwback said:


> No doubt. We are our own worst enemies.



Except you have a lot of bear hunters here apparently that are convinced the bear sanctuary program is the reason NC has a growing bear population.

And they don't want the boat rocked so to speak.


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## DOUG 281 (Jun 3, 2022)

come and get you one or two


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## WOODIE13 (Jun 3, 2022)

What's the limit there?

We have annual bear limit of 1 statewide unless you are hunting in one of the designated 7 counties, then the limit is 2 as long as 1 came from the 7 counties.

They changed that a few years ago after a lot of nuisance bear reports.


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## DOUG 281 (Jun 3, 2022)

I think it is one


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 3, 2022)

WOODIE13 said:


> What's the limit there?
> 
> We have annual bear limit of 1 statewide unless you are hunting in one of the designated 7 counties, then the limit is 2 as long as 1 came from the 7 counties.
> 
> They changed that a few years ago after a lot of nuisance bear reports.


One.


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## Joe Brandon (Jun 4, 2022)

The issue with city bears and the exploding population is the desire to stay in good graces with the "general" pop. The mass majority of folks almost worship bear and cant fathom killing one. Its all about appearances and sure as with anything we walk a fine line. One one side we want to be respected and not frowned upon on the other we know that hunting is healthy for all parties involved, including the hunted. Anyway I don't get paid to figure this stuff out and I don't envy those that do.


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