Wisconsin's bear hunting season is set to begin in a week. The season starts September ninth, and runs through October 13th.
Large Carnivore Specialist Dave McFarland with D-N-R says the hunter success rate is typically about 44 percent....
"....we've had high harvests over the last six years. The last six seasons in Wisconsin have been record seasons in terms of harvest. We're averaging about 4,500 bears a year which makes Wisconsin the number one state in the country for bear harvest...."
McFarland says the bear population can sustain the increasing number of hunters...
"....with any wildlife population, there's a certain percentage that can be taken any year without having any real impact on it. With bears, we're right at that point in most of the state. Same with deer and other species where you can take a portion of the population and still have population growth or stabilized population...."
McFarland say they've issued a record 10-thousand-690 permits. The old record was 10-thousand-340 permits, set last year. Successful hunters for the first time will be required to submit a bear tooth to the D-N-R, in lieu of registering their kills at registration stations. The agency plans to use the teeth to build models to help estimate the size of Wisconsin's bear population.
