Spring bear hunting approved

1/11/2006  -  SALT LAKE CITY — Fewer female bears should be taken in Utah during the 2006 hunting season after the Utah Wildlife Board approved a recommendation that will allow more of the state's black bear hunting to be held in the spring.

The spring portion of the hunt will run from April 8 to May 31. A total of 172 permits will be available for the spring hunt.

The fall portion of the hunt will run from Aug. 26 to Sept. 30 and Nov. 1 to Nov. 26. A total of 70 permits will be available for the fall hunt.

The 242 permits available for the spring and fall hunts are an increase of four permits over the 238 permits that were available for Utah's 2005 hunt. An additional 13 permits also will be given to several Indian tribes in Utah this year.

Applications for 2006 black bear hunting permits will be available by Feb. 1. Applications must be received no later than Feb. 28 to be included in the draw for permits. Draw results will be available by March 29.

Spring bear hunt

Switching more of Utah's black bear hunting to the spring should result in hunters taking fewer female bears.

"For the past five years, we've conducted an experimental spring bear hunt on three hunting units to compare the number of female bears taken in the spring with the number of females taken on four fall-hunting units," said Kevin Bunnell, mammals program coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "The four fall units chosen for the experiment were close to the spring units and had bear populations that were similar in size."

The results from the five-year experiment are encouraging. On the four spring units, 21 percent of the bears taken by hunters were females. On the four fall units, 31 percent of the bears taken were females.

"Switching more of Utah's black bear hunting from the fall to the spring should result in hunters taking fewer females, and that should lead to an even healthier bear population in Utah," Bunnell said.

Spring hunting reduces the number of females taken by hunters two ways.

"Male bears usually come of their dens in the spring earlier than females, so it's more likely hunters will encounter male bears in the spring," he said. "Also, a female bear's cubs stay close to her in the spring. When hunters see cubs close to a bear, they know they've found a female."

For more information, contact the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

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