Wanted: Bear Killers

Alabama Mobile A reward is being offered for the killing of bears in Mobile County.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Wed, May 20, 2009 - 8:03 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, May 20, 2009 - 9:17 pm CST

Alabama state conservation enforcement officials have charged two Mobile County men with killing black bears.
But they said they are not the only ones, and you can help find others while, at the same time, putting money in your pocket.
Daniel Powell is a former president of the Alabama Wildlife Federation.
He said some people shoot bears while the animals eat.
Powell said, "They come up to the pile, they shoot them. They don't care. (They) gut, shoot them, whatever, and let them run off."
The Alabama Wildlife Federation said enforcement agents arrested two people last month for shooting and killing three black bear not far from Cedar Creek in north Mobile County and, Powell said, "We know that other bear were killed, but we're still looking for more evidence. We know that the total number of bear killed this year is in the double digits."
So, the Alabama Wildlife Federation has started Operation GameWatch.
The group offers rewards of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for killing black bears in Mobile County.
Killing black bears is a misdemeanor, but it can be costly in more ways than one.
Powell said, "The penalty is $5,000, a year in jail, and losing your hunting privileges for three years."
Anyone with information on bear killings in Mobile County should call the Operation GameWatch toll free hotline.
The phone number is 1-800-272-GAME.
You can remain anonymous.

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BamaBob Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 7:46 pm

Hmmmmmmm….. that was more than I wanted to know!

txbob Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 7:44 pm

Have you ever seen “bear scat”? You can tell what he has been eating by examining his poop. When dry, it is hard and rough. You can see whether he has been eating berries, grass, insects. etc.

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 6:41 pm

It’s not just in the county, though they are more prevalent around the North Mobile area…But remember not too far back (like last spring/summer)-there was a mama bear and her cub spotted on Howell’s Ferry close to Moffett by a school bus driver. I think several other people in that area had seen her too.

BamaBob Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 6:27 pm

I was not aware that we had black bears in Mobile County. Thanks for all the info. Tell me this, I have often heard the expression “rougher than the bottom end of a bear turd” and wonder what makes them so rough?

txbob Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 6:16 pm

Regarding the 2 questions about what to do if confronted by a bear. First, most of the time a bear does not want human contact. If you come up on a bear, slowly back away. Do not run. Do not throw him food. If the bear stands up on his hind legs it does not mean he is about to charge, he is getting a better look at you. If the bear makes noises , he is telling you he feels threatened. That is the time to give him the space he needs.
If food is being left out or not properly disposed of a bear will be taught to return to that area . This is a dangerous situation for the bear.
If you live in an area where there are known bears you should not leave pet food out at night, you should put your garbage out the morning it is to be picked up. You should count yourself lucky to catch a glimpse of one of our few Al. black bears.

txbob Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 5:52 pm

I was glad to see the informative news story by Steve Alexander yesterday on the black bear killings. I hope WKRG will continue updating us on this. There are a lot of people following this story.

KxVicious Says:

Thu, May 21, 2009 at 8:48 am

Claycity, I called and asked “If a bear comes on my property, can I shoot it?” and the lady said “Absolutly not!” and I said “What if it is attacking my livestock, pets, children, or husband? Cuz I’d not care too much about the husband, but boy I’d wanna shoot it if it went after anything else.” She didn’t seem amused, but asked me what county I lived in (Mobile) and gave me this number: 251-626-5153.