Ohio Bear

[shotgun]

Im sure this topic has been discussed before but i was wondering if anyone has ever seen a bear before. What brings this up is one was spotted on a back porch a couple miles from my house. There have been several sightings around the county. I live in Lawrence county it borders kentucky and westvirginia. They say the bear populations are exploding in WV forcing them to spread west into ohio. It is Ohios most forested county with i believe over 3/4 forested land. It just makes you wonder how many bears there actually are roaming the woods. I know there have been sightings in neighboring counties such as jackson scioto, gallia and vinton.

[george tinkham]

add athens,hockin,perry,meigs an jackson to that list...the instructor at the hunters ed. predicts a season in the very near future...whoa

[shotgun]

yeah i know theres some more too i just wasnt sure of all the counties. I think pretty much any heavily forested county in or near eastern ohio has a chance of having some. I would love to be able to hunt them in the future.

[dpowers]

I live in Columbiana County. The local DNR are pretty sure we have a small resident population of bear. My brother saw one at my father's farm a few years ago, but it was killed by a car not far from here.

[R. Toker]

We have had several sightings over the past few years in Harrison County also.

[Thunderflight]

http://www.ohiosportsman.com/photopost/data/509/229COBFORPRES.JPG?516

[george tinkham]

never seen a bear yet butt i figure it wont be long,i did see scratch marks on a tree that was done by a bear...