(Elkins) — Generally around this time of year the proposed deer bag limits and season dates are getting the bulk of attention with sportsmen. Sectional meetings are set around the state March 17 and 18 to get input from sportsmen on this year’s proposed adjustments to the season plans for this fall. However, unlike recent years the deer regs are relatively unchanged. This year it’s the proposed changes to the bear season that are drawing the most comments.
"Bear population has really boomed in the past years and we’ve gone in and looked at our bear plan, made some revisions and some major changes," said Dick Hall with the DNR’s
The reason for that reduction is more of a social than biological exercise. The DNR is proposing opening up a September bear season in parts of the state where the number of bruins is growing too large for the public to tolerate. Interaction between humans and black bears are becoming more common and they are some costly encounters. During 2007, the DNR paid out $180-thousand dollars in bear damage settlements.
"Anybody that hunts bear has to buy a bear damage stamp and we have to pay any real or personal property damage as a result of a bear," said Hall, "And we have to destroy the bear, there’s no getting around it."
Years ago the Natural Resources Commission adjusted the bear hunting season. They moved the season to December to insure pregnant sows were already denned up before hunters were after them. The move insured the females would be around to bare offspring the following spring and those killed were either males or unbred females. The proposal now being put before the commission is a controlled reversal of that plan. Already, the DNR has liberalized the bear season and allowed hunters to kill bears during the bucks only gun season and wider opportunities for bow hunting bears. While it’s been effective, it hasn’t done enough.
"That population is still increasing in the southern part of the state and as a result of that we need to harvest those bears a little bit sooner," said Hall. "We tried to design it so that it doesn’t conflict with the rut for bow hunters."
The conflict with deer hunting could be problematic. Already some are raising concerns that allowing bear hunters into the woods early could put trophy bucks in southern
The proposals include a 9-day gun season September 18-27 with or without dogs in Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, and
A 6-day season with or without dogs is proposed September 22-27 in Grant, Greenbrier, Hardy, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, Webster, and east of Route 92 in Barbour Counties.
A 12-day season without dogs is proposed in
The traditional bear hunting season would open December 8th and would be extended to
You can find the full list of proposals and response forms by clicking here. Sectional meetings to talk more about the proposals with DNR personnel are
March 17:
- Martinsburg –
- Summersville –
- Lewisburg – Brier Inn (Grassy Meadows Room)
- Spencer –
March 18:
- Glen Dale –
- Moorefield –
- Buckhannon –
- Pipestem –