Thirty years ago, seeing a bear wandering around a Louisiana pecan orchard would have been a rare sight. “In 1992, it was less that 400. Some think it was as few as a hundred or less,” explains John Hanks, head of the bear program for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department. The agency has relocated some black bears to parts of Louisiana over the past 20 years. And sections of farmland have been re-forested to extend and connect the bear’s natural habitat.
How were the Bears Tracked?
To track the animals, biologists would set up several traps in pecan tree orchards in northeastern Louisiana. The falling pecans in autumn attracted the fruit and nut eating black bears. Within hours of baiting the traps with donuts, cameras would show that bears were captured.
The biologists would then place a syringe on the metal pole that was used to inject a medicine that put the captured bear to sleep within ten minutes. That gave biologists time to tag the bear’s ears for identification. The animal would gt a microchip, blood drawn, as well as a hair sample and a small tooth taken to get the bear’s age. Captured female bears would also get a collar with A GPS tracking device so biologists could follow her and her cubs for the next few years.
A Successful 30 Year Resurgence
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department takes a census of black bears in four regions of the state with the highest concentrations of the animal. The latest bear count puts the number of Louisiana black bears at 1,212 in those areas. But Hanks estimates that the total bear population statewide likely exceeds 1,500.
The Original “Teddy” Bear
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt made two bear hunting trips to Louisiana and Mississippi. On one of those trips, the President had not been successful in taking a bear. So a guide captured a juvenile bear and tied it to a tree for Roosevelt to take a shot. But the President refused to do such an unsportsmanlike act. The story of Teddy Roosevelt and the Louisiana black bear appeared in a political cartoon. And a clever toy maker created and sold a stuffed bear he called ‘Teddy’s Bear’.
Allowing Bear Hunting to Resume
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has taken steps to allow a limited bear hunting season in December, 2024. The state is proposing to issue ten tags to hunters and landowners through a lottery system. The Commission is now taking public comments on its proposed hunting season. Click here for more information.
Petition Campaigns
Concerned animal preservation advocates have started petition campaigns to try and halt the proposed bear hunting season. Inspired by Florida’s successful BearWise Plan, advocates are urging the Wildlife and Fisheries Dept to adopt a similar strategy, promoting peaceful coexistence between residents and bears, prioritizing education and conservation over hunting.
The petition reads:
With an estimated population of only 1200 black bears, we believe it is better to educate our residents to live with other creatures, especially large omnivores than to kill them. We favor the state of Florida’s approach with its BearWise Plan and urge our Wildlife and Fisheries Dept to join as a state partner. The BearWise Plan educates Florida residents on how to reduce encounters with bears, thus allowing both species to co-exist peacefully. Florida has successfully implemented multiple bear protection programs and services throughout its state, and we should follow its lead.
The Louisiana black bear is a symbol of our state and deserves to remain protected and shielded from a premature loss of life. We ask our state to allow the black bears to enjoy their lives, free from our intrusions.
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Photo Credit: Josef Pittner / Shutterstock.com