Black Bears Are Expanding Across Oklahoma Again

For a long time, black bears in Oklahoma were something you only heard about in old stories. By the early 1900s, they had been hunted completely out of the state. Gone. Finished. Just a memory in history books and campfire talk.

Fast forward to today, the black bear has become one of Oklahoma's biggest wildlife success stories.

Oklahoma’s Bear Comeback

Over the past few decades, bears slowly made their way back into the southeastern forests. Conservation efforts, habitat recovery, and migration from Arkansas helped kickstart the return. At first, sightings were rare and exciting. A trail cam photo here, a blurry roadside sighting there. The kind of thing that made the local news because it almost felt unbelievable.

Now it's so commonplace, they're popping up everywhere.

The population has grown so much that the state eventually reopened a regulated bear hunting season. That alone tells you how far things have come. When wildlife officials allow hunting again, it usually means the numbers are strong and stable enough to support it.

What surprised a lot of people is what happened next. Hunting did not slow the expansion much at all. Bears kept spreading.

Oklahoma’s Bear Comeback

For years, the conversation stayed focused on southeastern Oklahoma. The Ouachitas, the deep woods, the places you expect bears to live. Then sightings started creeping farther west. Bears have even popped up on trail cameras outside the Oklahoma City metro.

Now the newest sightings are pushing the story even farther north.

@5newsonlineA bear was seen running near the Poteau Public Library on Thursday night, according to multiple sources. There is no ongoing threat to the public.♬ original sound - 5NEWS

A recent video out of Poteau has people talking again, especially because of how far that puts bears from where most folks still imagine them living. For anyone rusty on their Oklahoma geography, that is edging toward the Tulsa side of the map. Each new sighting feels like the line on the map gets nudged a little farther every year.

As you would expect, social media is already doing what social media does. The conversation has shifted toward expanding bear hunting opportunities since the population keeps growing. This would not be new territory for the state. Not that long ago, getting a bear tag meant entering a draw and hoping you were lucky enough to get picked. Now, bow hunters can simply purchase a tag if they want, and no quota or limit is in place beyond "one bear per hunter."

That change alone shows how much confidence wildlife officials have in the current population.

Why Hunters Want Expanded Bear Tags

If you hunt a little more modern with a smokepole - AKA - muzzleloader or black powder rifle, the limit is still 20. Not per hunter, but shared between all hunters for the entire season. Once number 20 is checked in, that season closes statewide. This is where hunters want to expand harvest numbers, and as they keep showing up in large populated areas, the bear population might make that a reality next season.

If the state and wildlife department take the initiative to continue opening up bear hunting opportunities, we'll likely see some sort of public comment period later this summer. Until then, it's in their hands.