NY weighs expanding bear hunting

NY weighs expanding bear hunting – The New York Department of Environmental Conservation proposed heightened black bear management measures in May as nuisance bear incidents are becoming more frequent in areas of the state.  The black bear population in New York varies in concentration — most of them congregate along the Southern Tier, the Catskills or the Adirondacks. But in past decades, the bear population has increased in certain regions to a point where bears are becoming a neighborhood issue, said DEC Regional Wildlife Manager Michael Wasilco.  “There’s concern that the bear population has basically reached the point where something needs to be done to increase harvest,” Wasilco said.