Bear take down; Essex leads state

By DENNIS APRILL, Outdoors Columnist

ALBANY — The 2001 New York State bear take was 801, down considerably from last year’s record of 1076, but still it is slightly above the ten-year average.

Of the 515 shot in the Northern Zone, 42 were from Clinton, 74 from Essex (the highest in the state), 59 in Franklin, and 61 in St. Lawrence Counties. In Clinton and Franklin, more than half were taken during the Early Bear Season that ran from Sept.15 to Oct.12.

The number of bears shot in the North Country is often weather and food dependent. An early freeze or heavy snow will send the bears to their dens, lessening a hunter’s chances to bag one. More food means less bear travel, which also lessens bear-hunter encounters.

Fall 2001 was generally a mild one, with no significant snowfall, but the acorn crop and other fall mast was plentiful in the eastern Adirondacks. And these probably played a roll in the overall bear harvest.