Black Bear Killed in nearby Smithville

Jun 07, 2016 at 01:32 pm by bryan


A Black Bear was Illegally Killed Friday in DeKalb County. Early in the morning Chad Buchanan of Dry Creek Road Smithville took this photo (above) of the black bear as it crossed a soybean field near his home.

The TWRA reports that due to the relatively large home ranges and mobility of bears, there is no place remote enough in Tennessee to relocate bears where they will not have contact with humans. Currently, the highest densities of bears reside in the Cherokee National Forest (CNF) and the Great Smokey National Park (GSMNP).

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Since the 1970's, the number of bears has significantly increased in Tennessee. For Example, prior to 1980, the annual harvest in the state was usually less than 20 bears. Today the picture could not be more astounding. Since 2004, Tennessee's annual bear harvest has exceeded 300 animals! In 2009, a harvest of 571 bears in Tennessee set a new state record.

Source:

TWRA and WJLE

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