Bear season opens and closes on same day
This black bear weighed more than 340 pounds and was killed on opening day by Byg Guinn of Hodgen on private land.
Last year, hunters in southeastern Oklahoma were predicting the state’s first black bear season would open and close on the same day since the season had to close once 20 bears were killed.
They were so wrong. Only four bears were killed on opening day and just 19 for the entire month-long season. Hunters should have saved their boasting for this year.
On Friday, the opening day of the bear archery season, hunters checked in 31 bears – 25 males and six females. Season over. The largest trophy was a black bear taken in Latimer County, killed by Bob Burgett of Kiowa.
The bear, shot east of Hartshorne, weighed 463 pounds after it was field dressed, said Joe Hemphill, southeast region chief for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Burgett’s bear easily weighed more than 600 pounds on the hoof, he said.
Several bears weighing more than 300 pounds were taken by bow hunters Friday. Kelsey Weaver, 17, of Poteau became the state’s first female hunter to kill a bear.
Kelsey Weaver, 17, of Poteau had her nails done one day and shot a bear with a crossbow on the next day.
Twelve of the 31 bears came from Le Flore County, 12 from Pushmataha County, four from Latimer County and three from McCurtain County, Hemphill said.
The big question is, why did hunters have so much more success this season? Hemphill said the acorn crop wasn’t as plentiful in southeastern Oklahoma this year so more bears were attracted to bait.
“Bait is drawing a lot more bears than we expected it to,” he said.
However, Hemphill thinks the biggest reason for the increase was the use of crossbows, which are legal for all bow hunters for the first time this year.
Before this season, crossbows could only be used by bow hunters with a physical disability and hunters age 60 or older.
At least 20 of the 31 bears checked in Friday to state wildlife officials were killed by hunters using crossbows, Hemphill said.
“I think crossbows made a major difference, just my opinion,” he said.
The fact that the black bear season lasted just one day left some hunters disgruntled and Hemphill said state wildlife officials would be re-examining the regulations for next year.
One possibility is to impose separate bag limits on bears for the archery and muzzleloader seasons to give hunters more opportunities, he said.
“We are definitely going to do something different,” Hemphill said.
Hemphill wasn’t concerned that 11 bears more than the imposed season limit of 20 were killed. In the beginning, state wildlife officials were “very conservative” in deciding that only 20 bears could be taken by hunters, he said.
Liberalizing the bag limit would not harm the black bear population, which studies show is continuing to grow in southeast Oklahoma, he said.
Travis Elliott of Poteau killed a cinnamon-colored black bear on opening day of black bear season.
Jason Rhodes of Jones arrowed this 342-pound black bear near Muse on Friday.
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Comments
it is a legal hunting season they have to be controlled somehow.u dont know anything about our bear population.have u ever had one come up on your porch and tear things up.i have to question how smart u are,which dont sound like u r very smart.
PERHAPS I WAS WRONG TO ACCUSE YOU OF BEING A SPORTSMAN. IF YOU MOVE INTO A BEARS BACKYARD, YOU SHOULD EXPECT SOME REPERCUSIONS. THERE ARE WAYS OF CO-EXISTING WITH WILDLIFE SHORT OF BAITING AND KILLING. START WITH A BEARPROOF TRASH RECEPTICAL AWAY FROM YOUR HOUSE.
your so funny.i see u know nothing about wildlife.i wish a bear would eat your animal loving ass.lets leave all the animals alone let them get overpopulated and die from lack of food or sickness,or move n to towns like they have n other states where they have closed the season on such things as bears.
THESE ARE NOT GRIZZLIES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT WILDLIFE, YOU WOULD KNOW THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE OF A BLACK BEAR EATING MY “ANIMAL LOVING ASS.” THEY TEND TO BE VERY SHY, THUS THE NEED TO BAIT THEM INTO RANGE. WHEN I SEE A BEAR ROAMING THE STREETS OF POTEAU, OR ANY OTHER TOWN, I WILL RECONSIDER MY OPINION OF BEAR HUNTING.
COME TO THINK OF IT, IF YOU CAN’T CO-EXIST WITH NATURE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD MOVE YOUR ASS BACK TO TOWN WHERE THOSE SCAREY BLACK BEARS CAN’T GET YOU. LEAVE THE “BIG BAD BEAR” HUNTING TO THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE ABOVE PICTURE, SISSY BOY.
I have never heard of a bear in the Poteau city limits, but I believe there have been bears that wandered into McAlester, Muskogee and Gore.
Couldn’t we move the crossbows to coincide with the muzzleloaders? Saxton Pope would be rolling over in his grave right now.
MR. GODFREY, SARCASM ASIDE, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY BEARS ACTUALLY CAUSING ANY GREAT OR PERSISTANT TROUBLE IN POPULATED AREAS. I ALSO KNOW ALL OF THE PRO HUNTING ARGUEMENTS, BECAUSE I HAVE USED THEM MYSELF. I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF THE HISTORY OF DEER HUNTING IN OKLAHOMA, WHICH HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS STORY.
WITH THAT SAID, MR. DAN CLAY HAS TOUCHED ON A VALID POINT. THESE FIRST BEARS ARE BEING TAKEN WITH ARMS FAR MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THE BOW THAT TOOK THE FIRST OKLAHOMA WHITETAIL IN THE SECOND SEASON OF THE 40′S. THESE BEARS STAND LITTLE CHANCE AGAINST THE TECHNOLOGY TAKEN INTO THE WOODS TODAY.(CAN’T SAY I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR MUZZLE LOADERS WITH RIFLED BARRELS EITHER,AS THEY SEEM LIKE A CIRCUMVENTION OF GUN SEASON RESTRICTIONS)
MORE BOTHERSOME IS THIS. WE DO NOT KNOW YET HOW FAR THE BEAR POPULATION WILL SPREAD IN THIS STATE, BUT WE DO HAVE RESEARCH THAT TELLS US THAT A YOUNG FEMALE’S TERRITORY OFTEN OVERLAPSE WITH THIER MOTHER’S, WHILE THE YOUNG MALES MAY GO OVER 100 MILES TO ESTABLISH NEW TERRITORY. BY THINNING THE POPULATION AT THIS EARY STAGE WE REDUCE THE BEARS NEED TO MOVE. WITH ANOTHER DECADE OR TWO AND SOME GOOD LAND MANAGEMENT THAT PROVIDES AVAILABLE CORRIDORS, THESE ANIMALS COULD ESTABLISH THEMSELVES FAR BEYOUND THE LIMITED AREA THEY ARE IN NOW.
I FEAR THAT THE CURRENT BEAR SEASON IS A RESULT OF POLITICAL PRESSURE BROUGHT BY A FEW HUNTERS AND HUNTING INTERESTS, RATHER THAT A REAL NEED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TROUBLE BEARS DEALT WITH ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS BY THE WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER BEFORE A SEASON IS ESTABLISHED THAT MAY LIMIT THIER POSSIBLE RANGE.
Dear Mr. Butemeyer,
With all due respect, please shut your mouth. You are so ignorant of what you speak of it is comical. I suppose you think you know more than the wildlife dept. I suppose you think the taking of bears is inhuman and unfair. Well guess what, IT IS NOT. As a hunter, abiding by the regulations set by the wildlife dept, I have every right to hunt bears. Please do not post comments on a forum when you have so idea what you are talking about. You are not a member of the wildlife dept and as such you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don’t you move to California, I think you would be a perfect fit in that state.
Mr. Butemeyer, I am a hunter and love to be in the outdoors. I have to admit that you make some very good points in your post on October 4th at 2138. It is my opinion that the Wildlife Department has created a bear season to profit from it. They can make money on licenses, market Oklahoma wildlife opportunities, and gain popularity within the hunting community. Also, by allowing hunters to thin bear populations in southeastern Oklahoma, the Wildlife Department does not have to spend as much resources, time, and money dealing with potential urban bear encounters. Again, these are my opinions. You have to admit though. You opened yourself up for this one by your initial post. Think about the audience of the article. Mr. Barron and Mr. Day, wow! You two ARE really intelligent! Keep the posts coming! 
Mr. Rodriguez, I have serious doubts about whether or not you are actually a real hunter. You are most likely a tree hugger. If the wildlife dept. can make money by creating a bear season than I am all for it. The money generated will be used to better the opportunities for hunters and wildlife in this state. You clearly contradicted yourself with your point about spending resources, time, and money in dealing with problem bears. If this is a legitimate problem, the creation of a hunting season for bears seems like a smart idea. Let hunters take care of the problem instead of wasting the resources you are so concerned with.
I think opening crossbows up to anybody is the stupidest idea ever! Now I still agree to disabilled and elderly but not to anyone, if u can’t pull back a bow and shoot a deer then u should wait till rifle or get better with your bow. I’m strictly a bow hunter and only a bow hunter and killed many deer with my bows!
MR. Butmeyer that’s why bears are being seen more and more in public areas in my trashcan my kids can’t go outside at dark by there self due to these problems! I agree with MR. Day the wildlife has it for a reason just like any other hunting season! But politics like you prolly never been hunting or took your kids out hunting! Its a sport and the best sport ever its a challenge! So before u open ur mouth about bear huntoing go take a look down in SE OK and take a look for ur own damn eyes!
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USING CROSSBOWS AND BAIT TO KILL A RELATIVELY RARE SPECIES, ONE FOUND IN A LIMITED AREA AND JUST NOW ON THE REBOUND? I HAVE TO QUESTION THESE HUNTERS SENSE OF SPORTMANSHIP AND THEIR LOVE OF WILDLIFE.