Since hunting is a significant source of black bear mortality, these successive low harvests will actually result in a short-term increase in the bear population and in hunting opportunities in many areas of the Adirondacks, Berchielli said. DEC is planning to hold public meetings to discuss the management of black bears in northern New York. The Allegany harvest of 48 is well above the average of 33 for the previous 10 years and is second only to the take of 50 bears in 1996. The Catskill harvest of 272 is well above the annual average of 129 for the previous 10 years and sets a new record for the Catskill range. The bear populations in these two ranges have been steadily increasing and expanding into new areas.
Black bears can move great distances and young males often disperse the farthest.
As a result, bear populations in neighboring states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania also have contributed to the increasing bear population in the Catskill and Allegany ranges. This year's high harvests are expected to slow the recent increase in the Allegany and Catskill bear populations. DEC biologists use a variety of indices in addition to harvest totals to measure bear populations. Biologists collect age and sex information from harvested bears and movement data from tagged and radio-collared bears. This information is used to help understand whether bear populations are increasing or decreasing, and if bears are expanding into previously unoccupied habitat.