LIVING WITH BEARS

I Hunting in Bear Country I Bears in Your Neighborhood I Bears at Your Campsite I Bears at Your Deer Feeder I
I Bears at Your Beehive I Bears at Your Crops or Livestock Pens I Bears and Roads I Bears and Garbage I
I Feeding Bears I Management of Nuisance Bear Behavior I Aversive Conditioning I Encounters with Bears I

Hunting clubs with property in occupied bear habitat should incorporate bear awareness programs into their annual list of organizational activities so that members can learn facts and dispel myths (e.g., the mistaken belief that bears and deer cannot live in the same area). Identification, behavior, and management of black bears should be discussed in formal hunter education programs. Interested hunting clubs should contact the BBCC to arrange a presentation on the Louisiana black bear. Likewise, wildlife professionals should promote bear conservation when working with the media, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Clubs should also police their wildlife resources and report any wildlife violation that is discovered.

Hunting camps in occupied bear habitat should remove offal from skinning sheds as soon as possible. This material should be hauled to approved landfills or remote dumpsites, deeply buried, or completely incinerated. Skinning sheds and other food handling areas should be kept immaculately clean to prevent odors from attracting bears.
Since black bear and large feral hogs are similar in appearance, hog hunters should be especially certain of their target in areas where black bear and feral hog populations overlap. Because the Louisiana black bear is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, killing bears within the historic range of the subspecies carries federal and state penalties that can includes heavy fines (e.g., up to $10,000 in Louisiana), suspension of hunting privileges, and jail time. Outdoorsmen should avoid confrontations with the Louisiana black bear by practicing safe hunting methods.

Hunters should gut and remove game carcasses from the kill site as quickly as possible, never leaving the gut pile on or near a trail. Do not drag the carcass back to the campsite, as this just creates a clear scent trail for bears to follow. Hang the carcass at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet from the attachment point, also making sure to remove any bloody clothes or items and hang them at a safe distance along with all other attractants. Bears may still appear and investigate the carcass; so upon returning, the hunter should approach upwind and make noise while always scanning the area. If a bear has obtained the carcass, a hunter should not attempt to approach or reclaim the kill as this may antagonize the bear and provoke a dangerous situation.
Use of hunting dogs in occupied habitat should be controlled as dogs may chase bears instead of legal game in some areas. Running of dogs outside the hunting season, particularly in late spring, can adversely impact bears by contributing additional stress during a time when bears have just emerged from winter dens and are searching for foods. In addition, dogs may harm or kill cubs caught on the ground. Control of free-ranging dogs in occupied habitat could also reduce the likelihood of potentially dangerous confrontations between dog handlers and bears.

In some areas, a program to control feral hogs may be warranted. Feral hogs can significantly lower the quality of habitat for bears where the 2 species overlap. In these areas, hunters should be especially careful of their targets as large hogs can appear similar to bears.