From NY Big Game:
Early bear season begins in the Northern Zone on September 18, 2010, and to help hunters prepare, we recently updated and posted the booklet, Hunting the Black Bear in New York, at: www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7857.html
This 11-page document provides information on:
* bear hunting regulations;
* preparation for bear hunting;
* black bear food habits and identifying natural bear sign;
* hunting methods;
* post-harvest care, from butchering to cooking; and
* bear hunter's ethic
Several other resources that bear hunters may find helpful include:
* 2009 Bear Harvest Summary with harvest maps; (pdf, 1.4 Mb) www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/bb09summary.pdf
* Black Bears in New York: Natural History, Range, and Interactions with People; (pdf, 567 kb) www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/BBNaturalhistory.pdf
* New York State Outdoor Guides Association; www.nysoga.org
Jeremy Hurst
Big Game Biologist