Gator Season closes; Bear Season up next

Gators are resting easier now that the S.C. is over

With over 1200 alligator tags issued by SCDNR in 2013, the alligators of the Palmetto State can rest easier now that the season closed on October 12. Next up for big game hunters with an eye to the extreme is the coastal black bear season from October 24 though November 5. The South Carolina coastal Lowcountry continues to amaze everyone with its wide array of wildlife pursuits. Hunters and anglers must be coming to realize that an outdoors lifestyle comes with many intangible rewards. One does not have to be a ‘consumer’ (hunter or angler) to appreciate the marshy vistas that thrive with bird life; plants and invertebrates that make the entire ecosystem hum with success. Just a few years ago, the state did not even offer an alligator hunting season or a coastal bear hunting season, but presently they both seem to be a sustainable offering for the foreseeable future. The SCDNR permit process is a good way to keep conservation in the equation about how much we extract from the environment. SCDNR will increase the number of bear permits in 2013 in hopes of increasing hunter success. The black bear population is increasing in S.C. and eventually a bear hunting season may come to other counties besides the three counties that have seen a strong bear migration southward from North Carolina towards the Santee Delta.

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