ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas bear hunters broke harvesting records in 2023, and officials have a close eye on sustainability, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC).
AGFC reports that the previous record, set in 2020, marked 665 black bears taken down during the gun and archery seasons. That record was high for the time, considering the next two years came short of 500, but 2023 hunters "eclipsed" those years by bagging a reported 765.
The new record is likely due to 2023's longer bear archery hunting season— AGFC allowed hunters to get out about ten days earlier, and AGFC Large Carnivore Program Coordinator Myron Means said, "Quite frankly, we're getting bear harvest in the state about where we need it."
More than 80% of the harvested bears were taken down by archers, according to AGFC.
Hunters seemed to take extra caution harvesting male bears at the beginning of the season but became less careful as the season went on, according to AGFC Director Austin Booth.
"I think our hunters are trying to educate themselves and help the population by selecting males ... This is the number one way a hunter can help protect the future of the sport," said Means.
Means said the increase in female bear harvests is unfortunate, "but it's not something I'm going to say the sky is falling over." With that being said, multiple years in a row of increased female bear harvesting could lead to "changes in season structure," said Means.
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