Bear hunters set record

Arkansas bear hunters killed 765 bears during the 2023 hunting season, topping the previous record of 665 bears set in 2020.

Myron Means, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Large Carnivore Program coordinator, said hunter success in 2023 is probably attributable to an earlier opening day of the bear archery season in Bear Zones 1 and 2. Recent seasons opened on the third week in September to be concurrent with deer archery season, but the 2023 opened on Sept. 13.

“You see a lot more bears at bait stations before the acorns drop, then the bears will go to the woods and then start denning,” Means said. “Quite frankly, we’re getting bear harvest in the state about where we need bear harvest in the state.”

Archers accounted for more than 80% of the harvest with 643 bears. Muzzleloader hunters checked 36 bears (5%), and bear hunters using modern guns took 86 bears (11%). The bear harvest in Zones 4, 5 and 5A all came by way of modern gun.

For the second year, hunters in Bear Zones 3 and 4 were able to take bears during a brief quota hunt in December. Although technical difficulties forced the AGFC to close the season before the quota was completely met, Means is confident that remaining conservative in the harvest in this newly opened portion of the state was beneficial to the population.

“We had 19 bears harvested within a few days,” Means said. “And the female portion of the harvest was only 37%, which bodes well for the future of bear season down there.”

Bear Zone 5 in southeast Arkansas reported a harvest of nine bears, and Bear Zone 5A along the White River in southeast Arkansas had two bears harvested within its borders.