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Maryland closes bear hunting season with 94 killed over 6 days in Allegany, Garrett counties

By Associated Press, Published: October 27

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Maryland has closed its 2013 black bear hunting season with hunters reporting 94 bears killed in the western part of the state.

The season opened last Monday in Allegany and Garrett counties for six days and closed on Saturday. Most of the bears were killed in Garrett County, with a tally of 70. In Allegany County, 24 were killed.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports the average life weight of the bears this year was 142 pounds. The agency says Mark Martin of Oakland took the largest bear of the season. It was a 392-pound male.
In all, 748 hunters participated in this year’s hunt, and 3,504 hunters applied for a permit.

More here.

Growing Black Bear Population Leads To Increased Hunt

GARRETT COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) — A growing black bear population means more bears are being hunted this week in Maryland.

Alex DeMetrick reports like the bears, the hunt is spreading.

As Deep Creek Lake settles into autumn, trucks pull in and out of a Department of Natural Resources check-in station carrying dead black bears. There is no restriction on size or age during the annual hunt, but there is a promise.

“What we promised all along–we would never wipe out the bear population with this well-regulated hunt,” said Paul Peditto, DNR.

Nine years ago, when the hunt started, there were 500 bears in Maryland. Now it’s estimated at 1,000, so the harvest quota is up. Thirty bears were taken the first year of the hunt in 2004. This year, between 95 and 130 will be taken as their range has spread from Garrett and Allegany counties east into Washington and Frederick counties.

More here.