Black bears reacquainting with West Texas

July 11, 2011 5:57 PM
BY JON VANDERLAAN
Dry conditions are forcing black bears go on the move, but they’re actually coming to Texas instead of leaving the drought-ridden state.

Louis Harveson, a natural resource management professor at Sul Ross State University, said the bears are fleeing dry conditions and fires in Mexico, searching for food and water. Bears are now a regular sight in Big Bend National Park and Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.

“They probably put their nose to the wind, smelled the river, the Rio Grande, and at least knew they could get water,” he said. “They used to be there, so it’s a very natural process, a very natural recolonization, that we’re seeing now.”

He said it won’t be odd to see black bears venture into towns and cities in the Trans-Pecos area looking for food and water.


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http://www.oaoa.com/news/bears-68370-black-forcing.html

Been happening for the last 15 yrs now at least.

Would be nice to get a huntable bear population in TX. Don't see it happening, though.

Been happening for awhile now, even seen black bears on a game cam in Concan. Granted nowhere near the pops like in Canada but they are here. Even see some up in East Texas coming out of Arkansa.

Yes they've been showing up for awhile now, I can't seem to find them now but, I had some pictures of one hanging from a feeder mech. near Sanderson a few years ago. One of the local ranchers killed one back in the mid-eighties and almost ended up in deep doo-doo, but he had evidence of several recent calf kills and the bear was killed near a group of cow/calves, another was killed near Menard about a year or so ago, don't know what became of that deal. It would be neat to be able to see them occasionaly, as long as it's not in the dark on the way to my dder stand.

A couple of weeks ago there was a bear sighting in Del Rio. This last Saturday on got hit on 90 about a mile east of Comstock. The deputy couldn't do anything and even he had to wait for the GW who put the poor thing down.

The wife saw one south of 90 about a mile west of Comstock about 3 or 4 weeks ago.

Northern Val Verde County has a pretty good population of them close to the Pecos.

That's all we need is bears running around. Coyotes are gonna kill the sheep and goat business if we are not careful.

Something tells me bears won't do well out here.

Saw an article yesterday that they have been seen in Midland/Odessa area due to fires in New Mexico.

Reagan co./ big lake.. Glasscock co. / Garden city... Google Alpine bear, then you tell me that Texas can't support a bear population..

Yeah, I know a lot of ranchers that arent very excited about it but I think it would be cool to have a good population of bears back in Texas.

We have an ever growing population in the Sulphur and White Oak drainages. Seen two while fishing the White Oak earlier this spring. Found tracks three weeks ago at one of my ponds. No harm to my cattle as of yet.

Well if someone were to see a bear while hunting, Is it legal to shoot? Are black bears native to Texas?

We have had them for a while Terrell County.
This is a bigun

They are NOT legal to shoot.

Not legal to shoot, although they are native to Texas. They were shot out in the early 1900s and have recently started repopulating some of their former range in East and West Texas.

And we gripe about coons, wait until these show up at your feeder!

They already have! Gives you a new perspective when walking to the blind when its dark.

good to know

Bears will tear up a feeder in a heart beat. I had one guy buy 8 of the 1200 lb Bossbucks from me because the bears tore up his other feeders. This was about 4 years ago and so far the feeders have held up.

This is the same place were a female dens up under the old ranch house and has her cubs. Back off of Blue Hills Road.

We have had a few wonder through the ranch. This year I assume will be more sightings with lack of water