Several sightings of a young, Black Bear in Lincoln, Oklahoma and Creek Counties is no sign there is a bear population in this area, state game warden said.
Jacob Harriett is a state game warden assigned to Lincoln County who also assists in Pottawatomie County as needed.
“This was kind of a weird deal,” he noted. “While the Black Bear population in certain parts of Oklahoma is doing well, this isn’t a sign there are Black Bears here,” he said.
Harriett said the young juvenile male was first sighted around the Oklahoma-Lincoln County line near Luther.
“I had reports on him starting from there on the north side of the Turner Turnpike.
He seemed to use the turnpike as a travel guide, moving parallel through Lincoln County on into Creek County,” he added.
Harriett was provided trail cam footage of the bear near Chandler, Kendrick and Stroud, all north of the turnpike into Creek County, he said.
“The last evidence I had of him he was still north of the turnpike,” he stated.
The game warden mentioned the Wildlife Department has done a good job of helping establish a Black Bear population. But the primary areas the bears are located in are in eastern and southeastern Oklahoma.Each fall there are archery and muzzleloader seasons for the bears due to the increase in poopulation.Harriett thinks the young bear had to travel from southeastern Oklahoma.
“He was pretty hard on some deer feeders as he moved across those counties. He was wreaking havoc with them,” he commented.“It’s not like we have a bear population in Lincoln County. We may some day, but not anytime soon,” Harriet believes.
He explained, “When the bears get kicked out of their den, they’re on their own. That happens when they become semi-mature. Not sure of what age they are when that happens.
“I think this one was looking for his own territory and looking for some female bears.”
Harriett said while there is no population in this area, “We’ll get stragglers like this,” though he acknowledged this is the first sighting he has of one in Lincoln County since being assigned here.
“Our biologist said he was a small bear,” Harriett stated.
Pictured above and to the left, a trail cam spotted the black bear stealing corn. Photo/submitted.