Since the black bear was first recognized as a big game animal in Nova Scotia, one Big Game License has entitled its holder to hunt and kill unlimited numbers of black bear. In addition, one can obtain a free permit entitling the holder to snare and kill as many bears as he can during a three month season in the fall. Furthermore an extremely libereal property protection law permits any landowner or his agent to kill any and all bear "doing or about to do actual damage" to any property. these three facts support man's legal right to decimate populations of a recognized big game species in Nova Scotia.

The black bear does not normally produce her first litter until she is three to four years old. There are usually only two cubs per litter and she produces a litter only every second year. The low reproductive potential of bears does not permit a very high harvest if we are to maintain our bear population. Only its secretive nature, its wariness and a lack of general interet in black bears in Nova Scotia has saved the population for severe decimation. In fact, it appears that fabourable conditions over the recent past permitted a population increase which hunters and snarers took full advantage of to record harvestsfor this province.

Results of the 1980 season hinted that this population boom may be over. Although the total bear kill was about equal to the record high of 1979, the big game hunter kill was down by 43%, nuisance complaints down 42% and bear killed because of nuisance problems down 68%. Only the snaring kill was up but this showed a 48% increase in kill with a 432% increase in the number of snare nights. The kill per effort was actually down for the snaring kill as well.

In 1981 complaints about nuisance bears to the Department were down another 75%. There was a reduction of 10.3% in the number of snares set and 23% reduction in the snare nights of effort, but the number of bears snaraed was down 45%. With the kill down twice as much as the effort, it would seem that these figures are a function of population rather than of man's activity.

Similarly,although big game hunting licenses issued in 1981 were up, reported success in taking a bear by these hunters was down considerably resulting in a hunter harvest of only 180 bears, a reduction of 15% from the 1980 hunter harvest.

The total bear kill determined from nuisance reports, returns of snaring permit holder questionnaires and big game report card returns for 1982 is recorded in the table below.

The suggestion is strongly made by these figures that our bear population is declining.

A study presently underway at Acadia University will use information provided by bear hunters to more accurately determine the reproductive rate among black bears and the sex and age distribution in the population. This study should provide our first significant look at this important wildlife species.