"Most bears in Maine are harvested over bait, and weather and natural food availability impact bears' response to baits. In years with good or exceptional natural food production, fewer bears visit hunters' baits or they visit them less frequently.

"Weather affects not only the bears' response to baits -- it can also influence hunter-participation rates. In 2005, for example, the remnants of Hurricane Katrina hit Maine in the opening week of bear season, and that week, the harvest was low.

"Resident hunters typically do not hire guides, but operate their own bait sites and hunt on weekends. For that reason, we suspect recent increases in gas prices have also likely influenced hunter participation. Hunters are putting out fewer baits and are spending fewer days in the field."

Maine's black bear hunting season runs from late August through November. The bag limit is one bear per hunter. Maine allows hunting over baits, with hounds, still-hunting, stalking and trapping -- with some restrictions.

Recent changes to trapping laws, supported by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, included reducing the number of traps allowed from two to one per hunter and banning foot-hold traps. Those changes are now in effect. Be sure to check the 2008 hunting regulations before heading out.

For more information about bear hunting in the Pine Tree State, visit http://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/hunting/index.htm. Or you can call (207) 287-8000.

For a list of registered Maine guides, write to the Maine Professional Guide's Association, P.O. Box 336, Augusta, ME 04332-0336.

Or visit the agency's Web site at www.maineguides.org.

For travel information, visit www.visitmaine.com, or telephone the Maine Office of Tourism at 1-888-624-6345.

MASSACHUSETTS
Bay State bear numbers have been on an upward trend in recent years, and the harvests reflect that. The 2007 harvest was 143 black bears, while a total of 148 bears were taken in 2006. These are some of the highest numbers over the past dozen years, with only 2003's harvest of 153 bears topping more recent numbers. Berkshire and Franklin counties remain the leading areas for yielding decent black bear harvest numbers.

"There is an excellent bear population in western Massachusetts," said James Cardoza, MassWildlife's leading black bear biologist. "Hunter success is largely determined by food distribution and availability. (Continued)

"If natural foods like acorns and berries are abundant, the bears may be widely dispersed across the landscape -- and less available to hunters than during years when the bears are focusing on cornfields."

Cardoza was reluctant to forecast 2008 hunter success rates because fall food supplies, weather and hunter-participation levels are important unknowns. He did note that more hunters go out for bear during the September season than in November, when there are so many other species available to hunt.

This year, Massachusetts' split season dates are Sept. 2 through 20 and Nov. 3 through 22.