Hunters loaded for bear, good conditions

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As many of us turn our attention to the American Folk Festival this weekend, a steady stream of camouflage-clad hunters will stream past, heading toward some of the state’s fabled rural outposts.

In towns like Sebec and Allagash, Bingham and Grand Lake Stream, those hunters will hunker down and get ready for Monday’s opening day of bear season.

Shooters can hunt over bait from Aug. 27 through Sept. 22.

And according to one Maine bear expert, they might find better hunting conditions than they have over the past couple of years.

“They’re eating a little better this year. Their bait interest is a little higher,” said Randy Cross, a wildlife biologist who serves as the field crew leader for the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s bear study.

One key to getting bears to come to a bait site – the top factor, according to Cross – is competition from natural food crops.

“Natural food, apparently, based on the bait interests, is a little lower this year, particularly than last year, but also the year before that,” Cross said. “So I would expect a higher harvest as a result of that increased bait interest.”

Over the last two years, the number of bears killed has been lower than average. In 2006, 2,659 bears were killed by Maine hunters, while 2,873 were killed in 2005.

The state’s five-year average was 3,622 bears killed per year, Cross said.

Cross said that even though hunters and guides take precautions to avoid letting bears know that they’re the ones doing the baiting, the bears often figure things out.

“If the natural foods are really strong, the bears don’t need to take the risk of participating in the game, basically,” Cross said. “They can tell that there’s human scent around, even though hunters try to keep that at a minimum. They know that there’s some association with humans, so they know there’s some associated risk.”

Cross said a number of different crops will be maturing over the next few weeks, and that equation could change. Different varieties of cherries, along with hazelnuts and other edibles, may compete with bait for the attention of hungry bears.

But the veteran wildlife biologist explained that at this time of year, bears are determined foragers.

“They’re basically an eating machine,” Cross said. “Their job is to take in the best and most food possible.

“During the fall there’s a period that’s referred to as ‘hyperphasia,’ when they’re really cramming in the calories, trying to prepare for the winter den season,” he said. “[During that period], they’ll feed around the clock if they can.”

Cross said during the baiting season, those bears are in hyperphasia and will wander their territory looking for food. If there is plenty of food that doesn’t seem to be overly risky to eat, the bruins will eat it during daylight hours. Places like bait sites, where human presence may be detected, are more likely to be visited at night.

“There have been studies that have shown that during times of plenty, when food is out there, they do feed almost around the clock, 23 hours out of 24, with a couple of half-hour breaks,” Cross said. “That’s very common.”

Cross said that during the hyperphasia period, bears don’t worry much about sleeping.

“[They just take] a little bit of rest for the jaws, I guess,” he said. “They don’t have time for sleeping when the food’s out there, when [they’re] really trying to put the calories away. And they will eat 6,000 to 7,000 calories in a day, which is a lot.”

More info on shooting day

In Saturday’s outdoor notebook we shared word of an introduction to shooting sports that’s going to be offered by the Penobscot County Conservation Association on Sept. 1.

The program, funded by a grant from the NRA Foundation, will take place at the Hampden Rifle & Pistol Club and the Hermon Skeet Club.

After talking with organizer Charlie Rumsey over the weekend, then trading voice-mails with him on Monday, a bit of clarification is in order.

Here’s the main thing you have to know: If you want to show up and shoot, you have to have a ticket.

The tickets are free – as is lunch, use of firearms, ammunition, hearing protection and eye protection – but Rumsey and his crew need to know how many people are planning to show up.

Thus, the tickets are essential … lest you show up and find out there’s no lunch (nor ammo) for you.

Another possible change from the information we published: Both clubs may not have active shooting ranges at the same time.

That, Rumsey said, will depend on how many tickets he gives away.

According to the current plan, Hermon Skeet Club will host shooters from 9 a.m. until noon. Participants there can get instruction in shooting skeet, trap and sporting clays.

Then, from 1-4 p.m., shooters will head to Hampden for some action pistol, cowboy action, outdoor pistol and rifle instruction.

Rumsey said if more than 30 shooters are interested, organizers will split the groups in half and open both ranges for morning and afternoon sessions, switching groups at mid-day.

There you have it.

If you’re interested, call Charlie at 941-8575.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.