VERMONT
In the Green Mountain State, black bear numbers have been climbing in recent years, likely due to some low harvest rates over the same period of time.

Scott Darling is a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. According to him, there are anywhere from 4,600 to 5,700 black bears roaming the Vermont woods. Vermont has one of the nation's highest densities of black bears -- about one bear every three square miles!

In April, the state planned to host public open-houses and this summer, to adopt a new 10-year black bear management plan to establish population objectives and management strategies.

"With this new plan, the key issue will be that Vermont's bear management program has been designed around growing the black bear population," Darling said. "Recent public surveys indicate that Vermonters now prefer to stabilize bear populations at current levels. To achieve this objective, different management strategies will be needed."

Bears are big critters. They need large, unbroken areas of habitat and undisturbed corridors for travel to their seasonal feeding and wintering spots. Highways and unrestricted development often break up bear habitat and cut off travel corridors, a phenomenon called "fragmentation."

Fragmented habitat and corridors restrict bears from moving normally around their home ranges. It reduces access to natural foods and increases the odds of car-bear accidents. Fragmentation also brings bears into more frequent contact with humans.

Bears are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything. So as their natural habitat gets squeezed, they are coming to view pet food, bird feeders, barbeque grills, camp food and garbage cans as alternative food sources.

While some people like knowing they're out there, not many folks appreciate having a hungry bear foraging in their back yards! Traditionally, when people-bear interactions increase, the public calls for more control of bear numbers.

Currently, hunting bears over bait is illegal in Vermont. But bears may be hunted with hounds as long as the person wrangling the dogs holds a bear-dog permit, uses no more than six dogs, and no commercial guiding is involved.

Resident and non-resident hunting licenses include a bear tag.

Vermont black bears can be found pretty much statewide, except for on the Champlain islands. The heavily forested lands of the Green Mountain and Northeast Kingdom regions of the state support the largest bear populations.

During the 2007 season, 424 black bears were harvested. "This was due to poor fall mast supplies that initiated early denning during the latter part of the season," Darling said.

Still, the biologist is calling for a successful 2008 black bear season, which will run from Sept. 1 through Nov. 19.

"Vermont bear populations remain relatively high," Darling said. "So I would forecast another successful black bear season. Yet it will depend upon natural food supplies that affect bear movement and availability."

Early in the season, scout out berries, cherries or standing corn that may attract bears. Later this fall, as bears fatten up for the den, wild apples, beechnuts and acorns will be their main food sources.

For more information on bear hunting in Vermont, call the department's Rutland Fish and Wildlife office at (802) 786-0040, or you can visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

For travel information, call the Vermont Department of Tourism at (802) 828-3237, or visit www.travel-vermont.com.

For guiding information, contact the Vermont Outdoor Guides Association at 1-800-425-8747, or try them online at www.voga.org.