Black Bear near Nashville, TN
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:20 am
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... /803270410
Officials search for black bear spotted 15 miles from Nashville line
BY ANNE PAINE • STAFF WRITER • MARCH 27, 2008
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A black bear has shown up in Hickman County — less than 15 miles southwest of the Davidson County line — and wildlife agents say anyone seeing it should call them rather than trying to kill it.
Where the bear came from and how it arrived in Middle Tennessee could not be determined Wednesday night.
"It doesn't alarm us, and it shouldn't alarm anyone down there," said Doug Markham, a Tennessee Wildlife Re-sources Agency spokesman.
"That bear is not open game."
A man had reported Monday that he saw what appeared to be a black bear while riding horseback in the Bon Aqua area of Hickman County, Markham said.
A TWRA officer confirmed the sighting after finding a bear track in the mud, astounding wildlife officials.
They often receive calls about bears or panthers, for instance, that turn out to be dogs or something other than what the viewer believes, Markham said.
bears fear humans
Black bears, unlike polar or grizzly bears, are "lousy predators," he said.
"They eat as much berries and roots as they do anything. They'll eat meat only if they get lucky or find something dead."
Black bears have an "enormous fear" of people, but the exception can be when they have cubs with them, he said. This one doesn't have cubs with it.
animal can't be hunted
Bears cannot be hunted legally in most of the state. A season exists for them in parts of East Tennessee, but it is not open at this time of the year.
Black bears once roamed the state border to border, but people shot most of them, and the others were scared into the mountains where few humans lived. They can be found in the mountains of East Tennessee today and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Jamestown, Tenn. They were reintroduced in the latter.
leave it to experts
People can defend themselves from wildlife if their life is in danger, but Mike Butler, head of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, agreed that dealing with the bear should be left to the professionals at TWRA.
"Hopefully, they can recapture it and relocate it somewhere," he said.
He speculated that the bear moved in from Mississippi or Arkansas, swimming the Mississippi River or crossing a railroad trestle or bridge.
Bears are smart and would find a way, he said.
It's more likely the bear came from the southwestern direction than from the east, where Big South Fork and the state's tallest mountains are. Those routes would be more highly populated, he said.
Contact Anne Paine at 259-8071 or apaine@tennessean.com.
Officials search for black bear spotted 15 miles from Nashville line
BY ANNE PAINE • STAFF WRITER • MARCH 27, 2008
Print this page E-mail this article
SHARE THIS ARTICLE: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this?
A black bear has shown up in Hickman County — less than 15 miles southwest of the Davidson County line — and wildlife agents say anyone seeing it should call them rather than trying to kill it.
Where the bear came from and how it arrived in Middle Tennessee could not be determined Wednesday night.
"It doesn't alarm us, and it shouldn't alarm anyone down there," said Doug Markham, a Tennessee Wildlife Re-sources Agency spokesman.
"That bear is not open game."
A man had reported Monday that he saw what appeared to be a black bear while riding horseback in the Bon Aqua area of Hickman County, Markham said.
A TWRA officer confirmed the sighting after finding a bear track in the mud, astounding wildlife officials.
They often receive calls about bears or panthers, for instance, that turn out to be dogs or something other than what the viewer believes, Markham said.
bears fear humans
Black bears, unlike polar or grizzly bears, are "lousy predators," he said.
"They eat as much berries and roots as they do anything. They'll eat meat only if they get lucky or find something dead."
Black bears have an "enormous fear" of people, but the exception can be when they have cubs with them, he said. This one doesn't have cubs with it.
animal can't be hunted
Bears cannot be hunted legally in most of the state. A season exists for them in parts of East Tennessee, but it is not open at this time of the year.
Black bears once roamed the state border to border, but people shot most of them, and the others were scared into the mountains where few humans lived. They can be found in the mountains of East Tennessee today and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Jamestown, Tenn. They were reintroduced in the latter.
leave it to experts
People can defend themselves from wildlife if their life is in danger, but Mike Butler, head of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, agreed that dealing with the bear should be left to the professionals at TWRA.
"Hopefully, they can recapture it and relocate it somewhere," he said.
He speculated that the bear moved in from Mississippi or Arkansas, swimming the Mississippi River or crossing a railroad trestle or bridge.
Bears are smart and would find a way, he said.
It's more likely the bear came from the southwestern direction than from the east, where Big South Fork and the state's tallest mountains are. Those routes would be more highly populated, he said.
Contact Anne Paine at 259-8071 or apaine@tennessean.com.