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Ohio Bears

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,288
288
Appalachia
Here's a fairly well documented bear from central Washington County. Not the Wayne, but in one of our more densely populated urban areas. This is the one animal I still don't have on my own cams, but I'm hoping it'll happen someday. This bear was seen within a 1/2 of my back door this summer and the daylight pic is about halfway between my house and our farm (📸 credit to one of my neighbors) and the nighttime pic was shared on our local "What's Happening" page on FB. Pics are in the same general vicinity.

Remember when the ODNR denied there were black bears in Ohio? 😂 Or was that even a real thing? 🤷

Whatever the case, Ohio certainly has a growing bear population in 2024 and I think it's cool.

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Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
Here's a fairly well documented bear from central Washington County. Not the Wayne, but in one of our more densely populated urban areas. This is the one animal I still don't have on my own cams, but I'm hoping it'll happen someday. This bear was seen within a 1/2 of my back door this summer and the daylight pic is about halfway between my house and our farm (📸 credit to one of my neighbors) and the nighttime pic was shared on our local "What's Happening" page on FB. Pics are in the same general vicinity.

Remember when the ODNR denied there were black bears in Ohio? 😂 Or was that even a real thing? 🤷

Whatever the case, Ohio certainly has a growing bear population in 2024 and I think it's cool.

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I remember a few years ago they had pics of a bear in the dumpster at a diner in McArthur…..I think it is called Mclures but not positive. I also had bear tracks in the mud on the dirt road in front of the gate to my property. Never got any pics on my trailcams though.
 

Smawgunner2

Active Member
1,387
63
Athens County
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hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
40,172
288
Ohio
Yes. I remember them. Late 80s/early 90s. Just north of Nelsonville we saw them while dirt biking and while sitting around the camp fire. Public riding area. Can't remember the name of the trailhead. It was in the Wayne off RT33 and it was still 2 lane.
 
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Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,119
126
So the ODNR said at one time or another there are no bears in Ohio...Esp. Eastern Ohio with Pa. as a bordering state... Pa. kills close to 3000 bears every year ... The early season just ended and I believe there were over 900 bears killed... One was around 675 lbs. killed in Westmoreland County ( county I was born and raised in )... That county is not all that far from the Ohio border.... Bears can and do travel great distances. Bears do not stay together as a family, as the sow will chase her cubs off typically every two years when she is about to go into heat... Therefore expanding there range...So don't believe the ODNR...

Are they cool??? Most definitely... Are they destructive??? Most definitely... They will eat all your corn ( Walmart will love that )... They will destroy trail cameras... They will put a dent in fawn production... And the list will go on... But they are a majestic animal and are great to see...
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