South Carolina hunters are killing more black bears than ever as restrictions are eased on stalking and shooting the animals, a trend that concerns animal welfare groups but one that reflects state efforts to preserve the sport and keep the bear population in check.
Since 2000, sportsmen have killed more than 2,200 bears in South Carolina during hunts in the mountains and on the northern coast, according to state Department of Natural Resources statistics.
About 80 percent of the animals have been harvested since the state first began expanding hunting for bears fourteen years ago, DNR data show. This year’s bear harvest was an all-time high, with 237 kills, only the second time in state history hunters have recorded harvesting more than 200 bears. The largest bears taken this year exceeded 500 pounds…