Every spring in Oregon, black bears emerge from their long winter hibernation significantly deficient in minerals. As they have done for thousands of years, bears seek out the cambium layer under the bark of the western Douglas fir tree to replenish their bodies. This ancient evolutionary practice is critical for the bear's survival, as there are few other nutrient sources as rich as the Douglas fir. Peeling away the bark of a tree can damage, or even kill, some trees, much to the dismay of Oregon's powerful private timber companies and tree farmers. In response, they have pressured the Oregon State Department of Fish and Wildlife to contract with the federal government's Department of Agriculture to place mechanically fired cable snares over rank bait to rid these timberlands and tree farms of black bears.

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A young wolf migrating out of a northeast Oregon pack this fall has reached northeastern Douglas County, becoming the first confirmed wolf in Western Oregon in 65 years. The 2-year-old male, labeled OR-7, has a transmitter collar on it that showed it crossed Highway 97 and moved across the Cascade crest and into the Umpqua River drainage, where he was last located late Thursday, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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State wildlife commissioners voted unanimously Saturday to make the state's bear hunting season permanent despite critics who say the animals need federal protection. Two advocacy groups launched an effort last week to try to win the bears protection under the Endangered Species Act. Big Wildlife and NoBearHuntNV.org filed the petition with the U.S. Interior Department to list the bears as a "distinct population."

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Opponents of Nevada's first black bear hunt Big Wildlife and NoBearHuntNV.org have filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Interior in effort to list Nevada's bears as a "distinct species" under the Endangered Species Act.

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Big Wildlife adviser George Wuerthner participated in a live interview on Jefferson Public Radio's "Jefferson Exchange" with Rep. Sherrie Sprenger (R-Scio), sponsor of HB 2337 (the cougar hound-hunting bill).

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State to Vote on Wildlife Timetable: Commission looks at dropping 5-year mandatory review of management plans

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Conservation Group Threatens ODFW with Lawsuit: Big Wildlife says state wildlife managers have failed to revise bear management plan as required; state says plan should be ready next year

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Tahoe's bear break-ins force killings

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Calif. Delays Plan To Expand Black Bear Hunting

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Decision shelved on proposed changes to California bear hunting regulations

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