Photo by Bill Vaznis

By Al Raychard

According to biologists in charge of New England's black bear programs, bruin populations in the region are doing extremely well. Overall numbers are up in Massachusetts and in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and biologists have met or exceeded management goals with bear numbers at or above target levels based upon habitat availability.

In every state, the black bear population is not only holding its own or growing, but bruins are also increasing their range. In Maine, home to the largest bear population in the lower 48 states, more bears are being seen in southern and coastal towns, the most populated and developed in the state. The same is true across the border in New Hampshire, and in Vermont and Massachusetts as well. In a nutshell, black bears can be found just about anywhere in New England these days, even in areas where, just a few years ago, they were rarely if ever seen.

In 2003, hunters racked up record or near-record harvests in four states. Overall, it was a banner year, and by all indications, 2004 should be no different if hunting conditions are favorable. As always, hunting success depends upon the availability of naturals food. Mast production was poor throughout the region last fall, and the lack of beechnuts, acorns, wild apples and other high-energy foods forced bears to broaden their search, resulting in increased hunting vulnerability.

What will happen this year is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: There are plenty of bears out there, more now than ever in recent times, and dedicated hunters should find plenty of opportunities. Here's a state-by-state preview of how the 2004 New England bear hunting season is shaping up:

According to Jim Cardoza, MassWildlife's Bear Project leader, hunters take 5 percent to 7 percent of the estimated population, and bear numbers continue to grow at a "moderate rate."

At the present time, most of the Commonwealth's bear population is found from Worcester County in the central region west to the New York border, including Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire counties. This area is considered the "bear zone," and bears may be hunted only in these five counties.

Of these, Berkshire County has been a top producer of bears just about every year since 1992. During the 2002 season, 50 black bears were taken from this county and during the 2003 season, hunters took 66 bears.

For the most part, these western highlands contain prime bear habitat, with a mixture of conifers, birch, maple, beech and oak, some agricultural lands and plenty of undisturbed woodland.

There is also plenty of public land, with some 25 wildlife management areas consisting of more than 27,500 acres. These areas range in size from the 5,354-acre Chalet WMA in Cheshire, Dalton and Windsor or the 3,623-acre Fox Den WMA in Worthington, Middlefield and Cheshire to tracts of just a few hundred acres. Between these public lands are private farms where bear hunters are generally welcome.

Traditionally, Franklin County to the east along the southern Vermont border is the second-highest producer of bears in Massachusetts. During the 2003 season, hunters there took 43 bears.

Hampden County to the south, jutting north of the Connecticut border, typically comes in third. Hunters took 20 bears there last year, but Hampshire County, wedged in between Franklin County and Hampden County, beat it last year, producing 23 bears. Worcester County produced one bear.

All told, Massachusetts hunters took 153 black bears in 2003, the highest number since 1992. Baiting for bears was outlawed in 1970 and the use of hounds has been prohibited since 1996, so the hunting of bears is legal only by still-hunting, standing or stalking around natural food areas.

Presently, bears may be hunted during two periods. The first period begins the first Tuesday after Labor Day and runs for 17 days until the third Saturday after the holiday. Most of the annual harvest is taken during this period, which, Cardoza said, is purposely timed to coincide with the period when MassWildlife receives the most agricultural damage complaints.

The second period begins the third Monday in November and runs for six days, a traditional time to hunt the hardwoods and remote ridgetop regions.

During either period, one black bear of any sex or size may be taken. In addition to required basic licenses for residents and non-residents, all hunters must purchase a $5 bear-hunting permit.

For more information, contact the MassWildlife headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581; call (508) 792-7270, or visit the agency's Web site at www. masswildlife.com.

Maps of the Commonwealth's 100,000 acres of wildlife management units can also be downloaded at this Web site.

The black bear was designated a game animal in 1941 and regulations banning trapping, controlling the use of hounds (1967) and the outlawing of baiting (1972) had much to do with the increase in bear numbers.

According to Scott Darling, the state's bear expert stationed at the regional office in Pittsford, the statewide bear population has grown to between 3,600 and 4,500 animals, despite increased annual harvests.

"The true population is probably at the lower or middle part of that range," Darling said, "and though I suspect there will be fewer bears out there this year than in the past couple of years due to the record harvest in 2003 and high success in 2002, the population is doing well and there are still plenty of bears around. Hunters should have plenty of opportunity this fall."

Current management efforts include monitoring the population and protection of wild areas that affect production of critical natural foods. The plan includes protecting critical habitat by working with developers, conservation commissions and land trusts.

Black bears are apt to be found just about anywhere in Vermont. Statistically, however, two regions are worthy of note because they are consistently at the top of the harvest list, and in 2003, produced about half of the bears taken in the state.

The first is the Green Mountain region, specifically wildlife management units C, G, I, L and P, which ripple down the spine of the state for 160 miles from Quebec to the Massachusetts border. During the 2003 season, these WMUs produced over 214 bears.

This is the most heavily forested region in Vermont, with large tracts of unbroken woodlands and some extremely rugged and remote terrain. It also supports one of the largest bear populations in Vermont.

The region offers plenty of public land in the form of Green Mountain National Forest, which covers 380,000 acres north and south of Rutland. In addition, there are several large state parcels, including Jay State Forest in Jay and Westfield, Camels Hump State Park in Bolton and Bolton State Forest, which covers some 37,000 acres. Forestlands near Montgomery, Belvidere, Granville, Hancock, Ripton, Chittenden, Shrewsbury, Mount Tabor, Stratton and Readsboro are all top producers.

Another premier bear-hunting area, and an area that produced even more bears last year, is the Northeast Kingdom, which includes WMUs H1, H2, D1, D2 and E. These units gave up 264 black bears last season, more than one-third of the total harvest. Essex, eastern Orleans and northern Caledonia counties in WMUs E and D2 are considered top producers, especially woodlands near Holland, Norton, Morgan, Westmore, Newark, Sutton, Granby, Victory, Lunenburg, Concord, Guildhall and Granby.

The region includes two of Vermont's largest WMAs: the Bill Sladyk WMA and Stream Mill WMA (Groton State Forest), which, at 26,154 acres, is the second largest in the state. Plus, there are more than 133,000 acres of state-owned and conserved private lands open to hunting in the Nulhegan and Paul Stream basin.

Several other WMAs and state forests are also open during bear season. Needless to say, there is plenty of room to hunt, and hunting pressure is generally light.

In the southwestern foothills, WMUs K2 and N offer good bear hunting, too. The area produced 49 bears in 2003.

River valleys and the Taconic Mountains dominate the region, a series of low, round-topped hills. Most of the bears will be found in forested higher elevations of towns like Dorset, Danby and Arlington, which border the Green Mountains. This is the smallest wildlife region in Vermont, with the least amount of public land, although there are a number of WMAs and state forests.

The eastern foothills (WMUs Q, O1, O2, M2, J1 and J2) are considered Vermont's Piedmont country. There are great scenic vistas and a diverse mix of habitats. These units produced 128 bears last year.

Bears are locally abundant in areas adjacent to the Green Mountains, especially near towns such as Orange, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Stockbridge and Rochester. Some of the best public-hunting areas for bears include 2,271-acre Pine Mountain WMA, the 4,829-acre Les Newell WMA and the Arthur Davis WMA, which covers 7,788 acres.

Vermont's 2004 bear season will open Sept. 1 and run through Nov. 17. For more information, contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 103 South Main St., South Waterbury, VT 05671; call (802) 241-3700. Ask for the free Hunt Vermont guide, which offers information on the state's various geographic regions, state parks, forests and WMAs open to bear hunting, plus contacts where addition information may be obtained. Or visit their Web site at www.vtfishandwildlife.com/.

As noted in the state's 2003 Black Bear Harvest Summary Report, the highest bear harvests in recent years have occurred since 1999. Those historic highs reflect a bear population estimated at 4,900 animals in 2002, a doubling in the number of bear hunters in the past decade, and increased hunting opportunities.

Despite the record harvest, the state is still home to a respectable number of black bears, and hunters in most regions should find plenty of opportunity, depending upon the abundance of mast.

This was perhaps the primary factor that contributed to the higher-than-usual harvest in 2003.

"Poor mast production during late summer and fall forced bears to broaden their search for food, with the result being increased vulnerability," the report says.

As a result, bears had to travel farther to find food, and by the end of September, hunters had taken 77 percent of the annual harvest. The figure had risen to 95 percent of the total harvest by the end of October. This high success, along with a high percentage of the take being female bears, prompted an early closure of the season on Nov. 1 in the northern region of the state, which included WMUs A, B, C2, D1 and D2. It was believed that any additional harvest of bears during the deer season, especially of females, would not have been consistent with the goal of stabilizing the population in the region.

"We anticipated poor cub production due to the poor mast crop and poor health of adult females," Timmins added. "For the same reason, we expect that some cubs born this winter (2004) may not survive."

The bear harvest in most other sections of the state was high as well. The White Mountain Region (WMUs C1, D2, E and F) and the Central Region (WMUs G I1, J1 and J2) produced 241 and 238 bears, respectively, compared to 101 and 124 bears in 2002. Both Southwest regions (WMUs H1 and I2 and H2 and K) were also higher. Only the Southeast Region (WMUs L and M) did not end up with a higher or record harvest last year.

The opening date of the various hunting seasons should remain the same this year, but there may be some possible changes in the northern two-thirds of the state, basically in the White Mountains and northern regions, where the general, baiting and hound seasons may be slightly shortened.

Season date recommendations still had to go through the public hearing process and had not been established at the time of this writing, so hunters are advised to contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 2 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; or call (603) 271-2461 for details. The information will also be posted on the agency's Web site at www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

At present, Maine's bear population is estimated as some 23,000 animals, the largest bear population in the lower 48 states.

Historically, the central, western, eastern and northern regions of the state have been Maine's top bear producers. The four most productive wildlife management districts (WMD) with the highest density of bear kills in 2003 were in the northern region and included WMD 6 in Aroostook County, WMD 3 in the extreme northeast corner of the county, WMD 10 southeast of Baxter State Park and WMD 11, which is east of WMD 10.

Bear harvests were lower in other WMDs in these regions, but still impressive, and hunters should have little trouble finding bears during the bait or hound seasons this year anywhere they look. As always, however, much will depend upon available mast.

Bears are also showing up elsewhere in Maine, including York County in the south. Bears were harvested in 23 of the state's 30 WMDs last year, everywhere but in the mid-coast area. One of the most productive areas was WMD 12 in central Oxford County. This suggests that Maine's bear population is not only increasing, but expanding its range as well, increasing opportunities for hunters.

All things considered, 2004 should be another good year for bear hunters in Maine, but it may also be the last. Maine voters will go to the polls in November to pass or defeat an initiative sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, Fund for Animals and Maine Citizens for Fair Bear Hunting that will outlaw the taking of bears over bait, with hounds or by trapping.

Maine's 2004 bait-hunting season will run from Aug. 30 through Sept. 25 this year, and the hound-hunting season will commence Sept. 13 and run through Oct. 29. During these periods, a special bear-hunting permit is required in addition to a regular big-game hunting license. Bears may also be harvested with just a big-game license during the November firearms season on deer.

For more information on bear hunting in Maine and the state's position on bear-hunting tactics, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., Augusta, ME 04333; call (207) 287-8000, or visit the agency's Web site at www.state.me.us/ifw.