Several days ago a black bear was photographed by a game camera placed near a game feeder in eastern Clarke County, Mississippi. An attempt by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to trap the bear for tagging and biological study failed. Another game camera in western Alabama photographed a bear some days later, possibly the same bear.
A second bear has been resting in a sweet gum tree further south in Clarke County. His claw marks have worn a distinctive “trail” up the tree. Evidence of a third bear exists currently in Clarke County.
This area of East Mississippi is clearly part of the range of black bears which seems to be more concentrated in Western Alabama, from which bears that appear here seem to come, and to which they often return. However, a bear trapped at the edge of Meridian 18 months ago may have surfaced near Hattiesburg. A bear wearing a collar was reported seen there recently.
The presence of this wonderful animal is a gift we may not deserve. Before widespread settlement and development of this area by humans, the black bear enjoyed an ideal environment. We should be grateful for the slim opportunity to give the black bear room to inhabit a small portion of its original home.
If you fear the relatively harmless black bear, or otherwise lack knowledge of them, go on line or to your library and learn about them. Also talk with your local game protection officials, biologists or others who are knowledgeable. Ask them your serious questions. By no means attempt to shoot or otherwise harm a black bear. It is illegal and offenders are severely punished. Let them enjoy their beautiful outdoors like we do.
Outdoors
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Discussion
November 5, 2009
Area Bear Report
- Outdoors
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Foy on Turkey hunting and S.H.A.R.E.
- The Leaf
- Squirrel hunting memories
- The big one at last
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How to hunt and take Lauderdale County’s biggest buck
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Final day monster bucks
- Unforgettable Jesse Burroughs
- Roberson scores on trophy buck
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Successful Elk hunt?
We knew going in that the odds were against us. An elk every five years of hunting is the average. Even hunting for the more plentiful cows in the great herds of the mountains, our chances were not much better than the cow/bull average. Throw in the fact that our hunt followed the rut by a month when the November storms move the elk, slow our pace with deep snows and freezing winds, and we had a deck stacked against us that included the handicap of hunting an area completely unfamiliar, except for maps. My nephew, Rob and I were in for a challenge.
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