I did a trap and release on a raccoon (pic added)

[bvar22]

95. We live in far western/central Arkansas in the OUachita Mountains, just a few miles from Oklahoma.

We are surrounded by extensive National Forest (Ouachita National Forest) and protected wilderness areas.

Coincidentally, we used to live in Minnesota on a Houseboat in the Mississippi River.
Minnesota has a wonderful and well funded Fish and Game Dept (DNR). We saw Wardens all the time on the Mississippi, and they were really nice, and just a phone call away.

We have nothing like that in Arkansas.
If we call the Game Wardens in Arkansas about a problem bear, to report poaching, or anything else, we might see them in a month. They are completely overwhelmed, understaffed and underfunded.
Poaching is also a problem, but so few people live around here, and we live far enough from any towns that they haven't become a priority problem.
I can keep the poachers off of my property, but thats about all, and even that can be dangerous.

Hence, the conversation with the Game Warden who advised me (in confidence) to shoot a nuisance bear, bury it, and keep nothing from the bear. So far, no bears have found our Bee Hives yet, and I hope they don't, but some of my friends have had their hives overturned and destroyed by bears (or a bear).

Electric fences offer some promise. They are expensive and seem to be only partially effective, some BeeKeepers we know have had their electric fences destroyed by a bear who wanted the honey and walked straight through the electric fencing to get back to the honey in the hives. The electric fence seemed to just make him mad.

Many of us, ourselves included, depend on Honey sales to "make our year".

I do not relish the thought of shooting one of these magnificent creatures,
but if it threatens my stock or family, our bees, or our ability to pay bills and put food on the table... I will.

I also don't relish having to dig a hole big enough to bury a bear.
The ground here is very hard, and we use hand tools.


We DO have a Bear Season here, have to be licensed to hunt bears,
and have to have the proper tags and paperwork to keep anything from the bear.
I'm NOT a "Bear Hunter" (and never will be), but I do know the state offered a healthy increase in Bear Tags this year. In fact, we don't hunt anything at all (besides mushrooms) because we are not hungry enough,
but if we get hungry, we both have the skills and firepower to put meat on the table.

But THAT is a completely different issue from the protection of Family, Pets, Stock, and of course our Bees.