Upstate New York Bear Hunters Are Best In New York State

Hunters in New York State experienced a down-hunting season compared to years past.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the results of the 2022 black bear hunting season.

New York State DEC Releases Black Bear Hunting Season Results

In total, hunters across New York State harvested an estimated 1,318 black bears during the 2022 hunting season.

Below are the estimated bear harvest totals.

"New York's black bear populations remain robust, particularly in the Catskill and Adirondack regions," Seggos said. "Regulated bear hunting is a necessary tool for population management, especially with numbers increasing in recent years. I'm pleased to see hunters across the state logged another successful and safe bear hunting season."

Hunters in the Northern Zone saw an increase of 14 percent while the Southern Zone had a 9 percent decrease.

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In total, New York State hunters had a 10 percent drop.

Catskill Hunters Have The Best Bear Hunting Season

The Catskill region recorded the greatest bear harvest densities. The DEC classifies the Catskills as western Greene County and portions of Schoharie, Delaware, and Ulster counties.

The DEC notes the Catskill region typically has the best bear hunting season.

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The youngest hunter to harvest a bear was 13. The oldest was 93.