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Photo by Michael O’Hearn/Crossroads Chronicle A proposal was introduced that would allow bear hunting at the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat sanctuary near Cashiers.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing several changes for hunting seasons later this year into 2023, including allowing bear hunting at the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat sanctuary near Cashiers.
That proposal is facing pushback from the Friends of Panthertown and the group’s executive director, Jason Kimenker, who said the sanctuary is a place of protection for bears.
Public comment on the proposed changes is open until Jan. 31 through virtual hearings planned over the coming month. If approved by a panel of NCWRC commissioners, the new rules would go into effect Aug. 1 before the 2022-2023 hunting seasons.
Last week, the NCWRC issued a release detailing the proposed slate of changes to the upcoming seasons. If enacted, the proposed changes would allow bear hunting by permit in three mountain bear sanctuary areas “in response to increased human-bear interactions in the area.”
“The proposal would allow permit hunt opportunities at the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat, Pisgah and Standing Indian Bear Sanctuaries,” the NCWRC said. “The mountain bear population is likely higher than it’s ever been, and wildlife managers want to stabilize the population rather than allowing it to grow further. The Wildlife Commission believes that using a permit hunt system in these areas will help reach that objective.”
While the definition of a bear sanctuary can be subjective, the NCWRC’s 2012-2022 Black Bear Management Plan says “bear sanctuaries are delineated areas where hunting mortality can be adjusted independently from that of the surrounding area to address local bear densities and to meet population goals.”
The Wildlife Commission adjusts that mortality by regulating harvest pressure, the plan says, by varying levels of permitted hunting.
According to data from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, the current estimate for the bear population of North Carolina is between 15 to 20,000. The state’s bear population has expanded tenfold in the last 40 years. Western North Carolina is home to anywhere between 7,000-9,000 black bears, and the population grows between five to seven percent annually.
Kimenker said human-bear interactions dropped off significantly during the 2020-2021 season after the Friends of Panthertown installed two bear-proof food storage vaults in Panthertown during the summer of 2020. The group has plans to continue installing these vaults in locations to further reduce risks as well as providing education on how to avoid future encounters.
“We encourage all who visit Panthertown to store their food and scented items properly, follow Bear Wise and Leave No Trace best practices, and know Panthertown is a protected bear sanctuary.”
The Friends of Panthertown is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to conserve Panthertown as a backcountry natural resource and enable sustainable recreation.
Panthertown is designated as part of the 9,180-acre Panthertown-Bonas Defeat Bear Sanctuary by the NCWRC, and American black bears live in peace within this sanctuary.
Kimenker and the Friends of Panthertown organization oppose the proposed changes, and he added the group supports the traditional recreational uses of Panthertown.
“Panthertown is one of the few remaining areas in North Carolina where bears are protected,” Kimenker said. “This is their natural, wild habitat. These forests are their territory. This is their home. Humans are the visitors in Panthertown.”
Fishing and hunting wildlife in Panthertown are activities regulated by the NCWRC, but Kimenker said he and the Friends of Panthertown think bear hunting could be too dangerous, especially if dogs are involved.
“The Panthertown-Bonas Defeat Sanctuary is surrounded by residential developments and adjacent game lands that have affected the bears’ natural territory,” Kimenker said. “We are in support of protecting and maintaining the bear sanctuary for the bears who live here, and we are asking NCWRC to not permit bear hunts in the Panthertown-Bonas Defeat Bear Sanctuary.”
- By Michael O'Hearn/Crossroads Chronicle