Haywood sets a record and leads the mountains in bear hunting
Jun. 16—Bear hunters in Haywood County set a record in 2022 and led the 23 western counties for the highest bear harvest in the mountains.
Haywood County has led the mountain region for bear hunting four of the past five bear seasons.
Bear hunters reported taking 161 bears in Haywood County in 2022 — an increase of more than 30% over last year — followed by McDowell County with 135 bears, and Madison with 127 bears.
The mountain region set a record as a whole, with a 20% increase in 2022 over the previous, while statewide, the bear harvest saw only an 11% increase.
"The increase in the harvest in the mountain region likely reflects the influence of the poor acorn crop we observed in the fall 2022," said Colleen Olfenbuttel, the black bear & furbearer biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. "When acorn production is poor, bears will move more in search of fall foods, making them more vulnerable to both vehicle mortality and legal hunter harvest."
Bear hunters are required to report their harvests to the N.C. Wildlife Commission, which help inform bear management strategies — with the goal being a stable bear population.
"The Commission works continuously to assure bear hunting seasons remain sustainable so that we can continue to maintain our successfully restored bear population," Olfenbuttel said.
Since 2021, hunteres have also been require to submit a premolar tooth from their harvested bear, which can determine the bear's age and in turn, provides insight into the bear population. Hunters get a hat and a report with the age of the bear for submitting a tooth.
"The mandatory tooth program has been enthusiastically embraced by our bear hunters, who for decades, have played a key role in assisting with our agency's efforts to restore, and now manage, North Carolina's bear populations," said Olfenbuttel.
