And it doesn't keep them from eating the squirrel baits and trees in the yard as soon as we aren't looking. Before proper legislation and protection for black bears, they can be harvested by any means possible at any given time without regulation during 1965. All three are categorized as endangered in the state. Black bear harvests have reached a peak of 750 total bears in 2019. This specimen represents the first black bear taken in Nebraska since 1907. the wildlife conservation official asked if they had seen any rodent, and the response was "No. It wasnt until 1985 that black bear harvests were controlled when the hunting season was closed during the year. Today, there are estimated to be around 20,000 bears, where 4,000 to 6,000 are found in Western North Carolina, and 9,000 to 11,000 are found in the Eastern region. Today, bear populations are healthy and thriving. They also venture into open habitats and come in contact with humans, causing hundreds of conflicts yearly. Today, there are more than 800,000 acres of land open for regulated hunting, according to the2019 Vermont Black Bear Harvest Report. Have some feedback for us? Which is why the DNR has not limited hunter harvest of black bears to boars only. Once teeming with black bears, deforestation and overhunting caused a significant loss in the black bear population to the point of near extinction during the 1990s. Bears in the Great Smokies will den during the winter to escape the cold weather. Black bears in this state are the most active between April and November and were evenreported to have conflictswith humans. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Iowa has no resident black bear population, but black bears pass through the state every spring. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. Theyre also common on camping grounds. Chances are the bear was passing through from its home in a neighboring state. Twenty years ago, the DNR estimated the states bear population at 20,000-25,000, which prompted the agency to boost the bear harvest in order to reduce bear and human conflicts. This is attributed to the fact that they live near human communities.