Manhunt Ensues After Poacher Using Bow and Arrows Left Black Bears to Die in Agony

A poacher killed two black bears using a bow and arrows. Authorities are conducting a manhunt because the bears were left to die in pain instead of adhering to hunting regulations in Oregon, where they are now in effect.

Two Black Bears, One Suspect

On October 29, in the vicinity of Talent, Oregon, a 275-pound female bear was discovered in a tree with a sizable arrow protruding from her chest. Investigators discovered that she had been shot twice with a gun in addition to the bow and arrow after removing her body from the tree where she had died 40 feet above the ground.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), investigators believe that the same person or people are responsible for both deaths after discovering a second black bear dead nearby in a tree. It was not specified if it had been found that the bears passed away on the same day. Because of the state of the second bear's body, the team decided to leave it in the tree.

According to OSP F&W Sergeant Jim Collom, the female bear had two bullets lodged in her and an arrow sticking out of her chest. Firefighters who are skilled at removing dead animals and live ones from mud pits, ponds, and other hard-to-reach areas were shocked by the scene.

The bear removal crew included Jackson County Fire District Five Captain Dave Meads.

Meads claimed that he had never seen anything comparable in his career. It wasn't immediately apparent that his team was being called out for poaching. Meads, an avid outdoorsman, claims that to preserve opportunities, people must abide by the regulations set forth by ODFW. Everyone is impacted when some people choose not to abide by those rules, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports.

Black Bears

There are between 339,000 and 465,000 black bears in the US, making them the most prevalent species of bear in North America. Black bear populations are estimated to range from 25,000 to 30,000 in Oregon alone. Male adults can weigh up to 551 pounds, while female adults typically weigh around 375 pounds.

According to National Geographic, the majority of a black bear's diet consists of berries, grasses, roots, and insects, making them very opportunistic eaters. They will readily pick up a taste for human food and garbage, as well as fish and mammals, including carrion. Bears that get used to eating human food at cabins, campgrounds, or rural homes can turn dangerous and are frequently killed.

They are legal to hunt in the spring and fall, but each hunter is only allowed to take one bear per season unless they apply for and buy another hunting tag. While the fall hunt takes place from August 1 to December 31, the spring hunt lasts from April 1 to May 31. The ODFW must also be notified of the kill, and the bear's skull needs to be delivered there within 10 days of the killing for inspection and marking.

Every year in the US between 1988 and 1992, hunters killed about 18,000 black bears.

Killed For Sport and Fun

According to the statement from Derek Broman, a carnivore coordinator for ODFW, the killing of these two bears was probably done for entertainment or sport.

The ODFW tracks the black bear population by looking into every case of mortality, including this one. It takes a lot of effort to maintain a stable and healthy bear population, which includes tooth collection, population modeling, and data tracking.

Broman said that the efforts of researchers who monitor bear populations are "insulted" by this act of violence against the bears, Newsweek reports.