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Committee advances bill to shift bear season amid harvest and population questions
Summary
A bill to move Oklahoma’s bear hunting season two weeks earlier passed the committee after members questioned population estimates, possible overharvest and the Department of Wildlife’s ability to set bag limits; sponsor said he would monitor harvest levels if the bill passes.
Representative Fettgader told the committee House Bill 4,128 would move bear season up two weeks; an amendment clarified the season ends with the muzzleloader season and eliminated confusion about calendar timing.
Several members flagged uncertainty about the state’s bear population. Fettgader said he had been told numbers ranging from 500 to 2,500 and cited the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation’s most recent figure he had received: about 2,500 bears. He told the committee the five‑year average harvest is roughly 59 bears and that comparable states harvest a higher absolute number; he said a sustainable harvest rate would be roughly 5%–15% of the population.
Members pushed on localized impacts and nuisance animals. Representative George and others questioned whether the shift would increase the harvest of female bears; Fettgader said department data suggested moving the season could kill more females and that he would accept department limits and monitoring. Multiple lawmakers urged close post‑pass monitoring; Fettgader said he might add a statutory cap in the 10% range before floor consideration.
The committee approved the amendment and then voted to report the bill as due passed. The sponsor and members agreed department tools such as bag limits remain available to respond to any population concerns.
