Agency Seeks Bear Information

Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission needs help to determine the number and locations of black bears in bear zones 3 and 4 in southern Arkansas.

"We are soliciting public input from people who have photographs of black bears in those two zones," said Myron Means, bear program coordinator for Game & Fish.

Zones 3 and 4 include all of Grant, Cleveland, Dallas, Nevada, Ouachita, Calhoun, Bradley, Drew, Ashley, Union, Columbia, Lafayette, Hempstead, Little River and Miller counties, as well as parts of Pulaski, Saline, Hot Spring, Clark, Pike, Howard, Sevier, Jefferson, Lincoln, Chicot and Desha counties.

"We need photographs and GPS location information to assess abundance and distribution of the bear population in this part of the state," Means said. "Most of the land in this part of Arkansas is privately owned, so we do not have a large land base to conduct surveys for an accurate estimate of the population. We need documentable evidence and locations for sightings within the last year."

Means says Game & Fish is trying to determine if the population's abundance and distribution have potential for hunting opportunities.

If you have photographs with GPS information taken within the last year, please send them to Means at [email protected] by Nov. 30.

Outdoors on 08/28/2014