12 Bears Taken On Middle Georgia Hunt

Mathew Blanton got the biggest bear during the 2015 one-day middle Georgia bear hunt. The 223-lb. female was taken in Twiggs County.

WRD Senior Wildlife Biologist Bobby Bond called it right. He said with record warm temperatures pushing 80 degrees, the bears would be on the move and a high harvest might occur. Bobby nailed it. For middle Georgia’s annual one-day bear hunt, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 13, there were 12 bears checked in. This hunt continues to be hosted on private lands in Bibb, Twiggs and Houston counties, with no bear hunting allowed in Oaky Woods or Ocmulgee WMAs.

The one-day bear hunt on private lands started in November 2011, and 34 bears were taken from a population estimated at around 300 bears. In 2012, 14 bears were killed, and in 2013, just one bear was taken when the weather was rainy and cold. In 2014, five bears were killed.

Currently, the middle Georgia population is estimated at 228. DNR will re-evaluate the middle Georgia bear management plan in the next round of public hearings.

The next middle Georgia bear hunt is set for Dec. 10, 2016. This is a great opportunity for middle Georgia hunters to participate in a great bear hunting experience!

Edward Culpepper, 14, a student at Union Grove High School in McDonough, killed this 179-lb. bear at the Adams Park Hunting Club in Twiggs County while hunting with his stepdad, Shaun Culpepper. They killed the bear as it was crossing a powerline.

An important part of the middle Georgia bear hunt is gathering information from each bear in order to better manage the population. The data-gathering team was (from left) Mike Hooker (UGA bear researcher and Ph.D. candidate), Tommy Shover (Oaky Woods area manager) and Bobby Bond (WRD senior wildlife biologist).

Jeffrey Floyd killed this 185-lb., 4-year-old bear sow in his home county of Twiggs. His happy kids are (from left) Rhett, Emily and Olivia Floyd.

Justin Roberts, of Sylvester, killed this 197-lb. boar bear in a Twiggs County creek bottom.

Kennon Elliot killed this 3-year-old sow in Houston County.