DuPont State Forest Special Permit Bear Hunt Cancelled

RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 18, 2007) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has cancelled the special-permit black bear hunts scheduled for DuPont State Forest Game Land on Oct. 29-31, Nov. 5-7 and Nov. 12-14.

Applicants are being notified and will receive a full refund of their application fee.

Bear hunting is not otherwise allowed on this game land, located in Transylvania and Henderson counties.

Nuisance bear complaints from surrounding home owners and developers, coupled with a growing bear population and increased housing development in the area, had prompted the scheduling of special permit hunts on DuPont State Forest. Two randomly selected parties of five to 10 hunters would have been allowed for each hunt. Bear hunters also would have been allowed to harvest feral hogs, a destructive non-native species, during these hunts.

“This comes as the result of our agency’s failure to clearly communicate the rules regarding the use of dogs for this hunt,” said Lisa Hocutt, the section chief for customer support services of the Wildlife Resources Commission. "The Commission is working to address this through the rule-making process for the upcoming season.”