Looking for East Texas Bears

[LouietheLurker]

There are signs at the stores in Zavala showing the differance between a Hog and a Black Bear Cautioning Hunters to be careful of there Targets. From what I have read and heard they are releasing Females in the "Middle Neches Corridor" to possbly mate with the transient males from La. I have a Camp on the Neches in the Middle of the Upland Island Wilderness and hope to see the Bears make a strong comeback. I hope the Bears that are released are not shot by Hunters, if they can put a chip in a Quail they can probibly hide one in a Bear. If I hear of anyone killing one I will surely report it.

[Lip]

Found this article interesting. It always intrigued me as a yoot how they had a black bear season in the Outdoor Annual where I hunted in Cass County. I think it'd be awesome to see bears back in the woods of East Texas.

On the Lookout for a Texan of the Past

I read the article this morning as well. Could make a walk to the back 40 a bit more interesting.

[crunchtime]

I don't want any part of them. Yeah it would be fun for a day maybe but walking in the dark with a bow and a ticked off sow is not the way I want to start my day. If someone could guarantee me I would not be mauled I'd be in.

[BobbyB]

Zach was taking Wildlife Management classes at the Junior College in Uvalde under Bob Zaiglen. This past Spring a TP&W Biologist brought a young bear in to show Bob and the students that had been hit on a highway in the Bracketville area.

I doubt it weighed a hundred pounds. Zach has pictures somewhere.When he gets home from work tonight, I'll get him to post them.

This picture was taken between Del Rio and Sanderson a couple of years ago I believe.

[BobbyB]

Why do you want bears in Texas?
I hope all of the people saying they want to see bears in Texas remember that when they are tearing up your feeders, stands, camps, ect... and its illegal to shoot them because they are protected.

what is a bear good for, if you cant hunt them? They will be able to tear stuff up, kill other animals and probably a person or two...and we cant hunt them?

What is the UP side of having bears in the woods?

Because they were here first, we weren't.

[LouietheLurker]

Come on Mary post it again ! please.

[kfd82]

Because they were here first, we weren't.

So were the Indians......

[BobbyB]

So were the Indians......

Now that would make for a way more interesting hunt in the Big Bend area and West TX. Looking over your shoulder for Apaches or Comanches!

[TxBobcat]

Hunt alot on family land in Cherokee county. I would love to see a bear in the wild. Would def move a little quicker to and from the stand!

[DaveC]

Do they eat pigs?

If so, I'm for it .

[Darren]

I've got mixed emotions about bear coming back. We had a bear season listed in the hunting annual when I was a kid even though we never saw a bear. I believe I saw a small bear cross the road late one night in the winter of 1978 in of all places "bear bottom" just south of Harleton on the Little Cypress Creek.

I work with Corps of Engineers as a volunteer and the game biologists have said there have been numerous sightings in northern Marion county and other northeastern counties bordering Louisiana. I have no reason to doubt it as Arkansas would be close enough to make sense.

I'm not sure I care to encounter a sow with cubs. I also believe they would be murder on our feeders and run deer off from the feeders. It's bad enough having to contend with hogs but this would just add more costs and problems.

If they come back naturally then that is great. I really don't want them to stock them in my area.

[tinman]

East Texas Black Bear Coalition...

TPWD's plan...

[Baygall]

There are big cats, mean nasty hogs with big cutters, rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, hornets and alligators where I hunt.... Throw in a few bears! I ain't scared! It keeps you on your toes and makes me feel alive!

[tinman]

Highlights...





All East Texas bear pics from recent years...







Every county around us has had sightings in the last 10 years...mostly young males from AR & LA being forced to find new ground to claim as their own.

[kurt68]

I posted this before.