Bear at Kroger in Vicksburg

[Goose]

The USFWS is actually in the process of delisting the Louisiana black bear in the state of Louisiana. The process is a long one full of red tape and will probably take another 5 to 10 years depending on how many green lawsuits get filed. There is actually a 5 year waiting period in the process where once the science says its ok, they actually have to wait 5 years and then restudy to make sure it is still the same, and I think this is where they are in the process. USFWS & LADW&F have stated that a hunting season is the ultimate objective...think about it, what better measure of success than to have a population that can sustain the harvest of however many animals per year. The State of Mississippi's population is about half of Madison Parish's alone, so Mississippi is a long, long way off from delisting.

As our population increases more and more conflicts are going to occur, but it is an incredible story to watch unfold as these large carnivores are repopulating their historic range on their own. IMO, it speaks volumes to the conservation efforts that have been put in place across the region over the past 25 years or so. The reason they left was loss of habitat, and the reason they are returning is the increase in suitable habitat. It is also interesting to note that Mississippi is not engaging in any relocating for the purposes of reestablishing populations as Arkansas and Louisiana have done extensively. Mississippi's bears are doing it all on their own, and again, imo, it is due largely to the increase of suitable habitat in their historical range.

[augustus_65]

We are seeing the the same growth in Alabama's bear population. I grew up in North Mobile County which was the last range of bears in Alabama. In the past 20 years bear numbers have slowly increased and bears have been sighted in counties throughout South Alabama. We are a long way from having a large bear population, but awareness has steadily increased and most people see the value of the bears and want to see them thrive.