Zone 1 archery bear quota met

Bowhunters in bear management zone 1 met the 250-bear quota in three days.

Myron Means, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Large Carnivore Program Coordinator, said that an early dearth of acorns contributed to bear hunter success in Zone 1. That makes bear hunting much easier over bait.

“Last year we had a bumper crop of acorns in the Ozarks, and the quota wasn’t filled until the very end of the season,” Means said. “The year before that we had an acorn shortage and the season lasted three days that year. The two years before that followed the same fluctuation with harvest and the acorn drop.”

The popularity of bear hunting in Arkansas also has increased, particularly in Bear Zone 1. Means said the abundance of private land bordering the Ozark National Forest offers the ideal place to draw bears to bait.

“You don’t see it in Bear Zone 2 because it’s mostly public land where baiting is not allowed,” Means said.

Means said bear populations have increased slightly over the last decade. Biologists increased the bear quota in Zone 1 this year, adding 50 bears to the archery quota.

Muzzleloader bear season is Oct. 20-29 and has an independent quota of 45 bears. After that the modern gun season for youth hunters is Nov. 3-4, and modern gun season is Nov. 10-30, with a collective quota of 45 more bears.