FORT SMITH — Myron Means, large carnivore program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, will host a series of seminars at AGFC nature centers throughout the state during August and September to teach people about one of Arkansas’s most prized hunts and the state’s former namesake.
“Arkansas was once known as the bear state because of all the bears that were here when settlers first arrived,” Means said. “That population was all but wiped out, but after many decades of relocations and conservation efforts, we have one of the most robust black bear populations in the country again.”
Means will present every aspect of hunting Natural State bears from scouting and bear behavior, to field preparation for the hunt and care of harvested bears should a hunter score.
“This will basically be like Bear Hunting 101,” Means said. “If you’ve ever wanted to hunt bears, I’ll try to give you every bit of knowledge you need, but success will still hinge on how much effort you put into the hunt itself.”
Participants will get a crash course in bear physiology and what motivates bears during hunting season.
“Bear hunting really is all about finding food,” Means said. “They don’t have a rut during the fall like deer, but are about to go into their den cycle so they’re focused on one thing – eating.”
Means will help hunters use this knowledge to increase their chances of harvesting a bear, with tactics developed for private and public land hunters.
“We’ll cover baiting sites and how to pattern bears on private land,” Means said. “But we’ll also cover public land hunting, where baiting is not allowed.”
Finding bears on public land still revolves around finding food sources, but it requires much more work in scouting. Means says if acorns and
