About 10 percent fewer than last year
Hunters in New York State killed 1,539 black bears in the fall seasons, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, about 10 percent fewer than 2015. The DEC licenses hunters to control the bear population, especially in the southeastern part of the state.
Seven bears were killed in Dutchess County during the bowhunting season and five during the regular season, including one in Wappinger. No bears were taken in Putnam or Westchester counties.
More than 100 bears were killed in Orange County, including two that weighed more than 400 pounds. The heaviest bear reported, killed in Franklin County, weighed 555 pounds. The DEC says the greatest bear density — one animal every 3.3 square miles — was reported in parts of Orange and Sullivan counties, while the town of Minisink in Orange County had one bear in every 1.9 square miles. Twenty-five harvested bears had been tagged (including six from Pennsylvania, five from New Jersey and one from Vermont) for research, nuisance response, relocated urban bears or released rehabilitated bears.
Nearly 800 hunters submitted tooth samples from their kills to the DEC, which helps the agency determine the age of the bears taken in the hunt.
