Outdoors


All-time Record Bear Harvest in Tennessee

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Tennessee hunters have set a new record for black bear harvest during the 2009 season.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency biologists say 566 bears were taken... beating the previous record (446) by 120 animals.

The harvest in each county by season is as follows:
• Sept. 26 – Oct. 30 archery-only: Blount (4), Carter (39), Cocke (17), Greene (11), Johnson (28), Monroe (4), Sevier (3), Sullivan (18), Unicoi (13), Washington (10).

Sept. 28 – Oct. 4 G/M/A: Blount (27), Cocke (9), Sevier (37).

Oct. 5 – 6 G/M/A: Monroe (26), Polk (15).

Oct. 17 – 18 G/M/A: Monroe (16), Polk (7).

Nov. 2 - 5 G/M/A: Blount (16), Carter (20), Cocke (24), Greene (9), Johnson (9), Monroe (22), Polk (15), Sevier (15), Sullivan (9), Unicoi (10), Washington (4).

Nov. 26 – 29 G/M/A: Blount (2), Carter (1), Cocke (3), Greene (2), Johnson (2), Monroe (3), Unicoi (2), Washington (1).

Dec. 3 – 16 G/M/A: Blount (6), Carter (11), Cocke (15), Greene (14), Johnson (4), Monroe (14), Polk (17), Sevier (9), Sullivan (1), Unicoi (16), Washington (3).

Tennessee’s black bear population has been steadily increasing over the past 40 years due to several management practices put in place by TWRA. These practices include: establishment of a series of bear reserves throughout the bear habitat, protection of females and cubs, and setting the majority of the bear hunting season later in the year when most females have gone to the den.

Harvest totals have varied over the past 60 years from less than 10 animals to the record of 566 set this year. The annual harvest has been more than 300 bears the past 5 consecutive years.


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