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State officials report expanding bear sightings, ongoing research and plans for population estimates
Summary
Department staff described growth in Mississippi’s black bear population, ongoing collaring and den‑check research, preliminary population estimates for southwest Mississippi and plans to model a statewide population to inform management decisions and potential harvest.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks told the legislative Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee that black bear numbers and reported sightings are increasing and that the agency is conducting capture, collaring and den‑check research to estimate population size and inform possible future harvest decisions.
Agency staff said bears are reproducing in Mississippi and that some expansion is driven by both in‑state breeding and spillover from neighboring states. Officials reported that home‑range data suggest Mississippi bears can range over larger areas than in other states — a pattern the agency said is consistent with a population at the leading edge of expansion.
Preliminary population signals and research
- Agency staff said preliminary, very‑rough estimates presented to the committee suggested there could be between 250 and 500 bears in southwest Mississippi (Wilkinson, Adams and Claiborne counties), but the agency cautioned these are early, preliminary figures and that Mississippi State University is building a population model to provide a more robust statewide estimate.
- The department said it is conducting den checks, attaching radio collars, tagging bears and studying reproduction and cub survival. Those data will feed a model that will estimate how many bears could be removed from the population without a negative conservation impact.
Nuisance complaints and public safety
Officials told legislators that reported nuisance incidents (garbage‑raiding, knocked‑over feeders or beehive damage) occur but that the agency has had no significant human‑fatality incidents in Mississippi. Staff said habituation from intentional or unintentional feeding is the primary driver of problem behavior and recommended mitigation strategies such as electric fencing for apiaries.
Health and CWD considerations
Committee members asked if bears are being tested for chronic wasting disease as part of ongoing research. Agency staff said bears involved in recent high‑profile attacks in another state were tested and did not have CWD, and that research continues on whether carnivores play a role in carcass removal and CWD dynamics.
Next steps
The agency said it expects to complete population modeling with Mississippi State University over the next several months and then to present a statewide estimate and a science‑based assessment of how many bears — if any — could be managed or removed without harming the recovery of the species. Lawmakers asked for continued outreach to landowners and for mitigation tools to reduce conflicts with beekeepers and other agricultural operations.
Ending note
Officials recommended continued monitoring, stronger landowner outreach and limited mitigation programs (for example, electric fencing) to reduce bear‑human conflicts while the agency finalizes its population model; the committee took no formal action during the hearing.
