Kentucky Bear Season Begins

aristotle · Dec 19, 2009

Lead story in Friday's Lexington Herald Leader reminds hunters bear season starts this weekend in the commonwealth. The bear population has grown at a rapid pace in the Appalachian Mountains of far eastern Kentucky. According to the newspaper's report, this will be the first sanctioned bear season in Kentucky in 100 years. Unlike our thriving elk herd, the bear population has re-established itself without human intervention. Hunters may harvest bear in Letcher, Harlan and Pike Counties only.

Correction: that story is from Thursday's paper, Dec 17th.

layoutshooter · Dec 20, 2009

I don't know if you can say that they have come back completely without human intervention. They appear to have an active bear management program in Tenn. I posted the link below.

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/bearmain.html

aristotle · Dec 20, 2009

:Layout... you are correct in saying Tennessee has an active bear management program, and indirectly, Kentucky's bear population would benefit from that program. We get the smart bears seeking refuge from gun toting hunters in Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Many of these migrating bears now call Kentucky home. Bears seem to realize Kentuckians carrying guns outdoors is a centuries old tradition posing little or no threat to the bears themselves.

layoutshooter · Dec 20, 2009

I am sorry, I mis-read what State you were speaking of!! That was dumb of me. I will have to look and see what Kentucky is doing. I love looking stuff up like that!!