Not so long ago, sightings of black bears were rare. If you were lucky you might see one in the Adirondacks or Catskills, but lately these animals are showing up in many parts of the State including Central New York. The black bear population in New York is currently estimated as high as 7-thousand.
DEC Region 7 Wildlife Director Marie Kautz says, "They're actually re-occupying areas they occupied several hundred years ago. The population is increasing and we're seeing more of them through the countryside and also into towns and villages."
Bears have become so well established, the State has proposed expanding hunting seasons to an additional 22 counties throughout Central and Western New York. The purpose of establishing a hunting season is to control their population to minimize their contact with people.
Such a thing happened on the outskirts of the City of Cortland Wednesday night. When people spotted a sow and her two cubs roaming their neighborhood, they called police. "We contacted the DEC and they said just stay away from her, just keep an eye on her." Lieutenant Jonathan Gesin told Action News.
The bears eventually left the neighborhood but left some people, including Jeanette Slack shaken, "If they are going to start roaming around here, it's going to be a bad situation."
Kautz says the state hopes an expanded hunting season will give people more time to adapt to bears, "to slow down the population growth and range expansion in order to do some outreach efforts with people."
The State is now accepting public comments on expanded bear hunting. It would like to give hunters the go-ahead this fall. If you would like to learn more, click on:
www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6960/html
