West Virginia Hunters Set Record By Harvesting 3,195 Black Bears In 2015

By Ammoland

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- West Virginia hunters harvested 3,195 black bears during the combined 2015 archery and firearms seasons, according to Colin Carpenter, Black Bear Project Leader for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

The preliminary harvest data for the combined 2015 seasons were 17 percent higher than the previous record set in 2012 (2,735 bears). The black bear harvest of 2015 marks the sixth time in six years that the harvest has topped 2,000.

“In the 2015 Mast Survey and Hunting Outlook brochure, we predicted an increased archery harvest and a decreased December firearms harvest compared to the levels in 2014. Our prediction held true; however, the archery harvest increased a whopping 92 percent, a record, and the December harvest only decreased by 18 percent,” Carpenter said.

“When looking at all mast species combined, 2015 was slightly above the long-term average. However, the oak mast index for 2015 decreased 50 percent over 2014,” said Carpenter.

“Historically, a scarcity of oak mast makes bears easier to target for archery hunters. Conversely, decreased oak mast typically …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand