Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2019
Keywords
Black Bear (Ursus americanus ), Wildlife Management, National Forest, Wildlife Tourism, Interpretation, Environmental Education, Kentucky, Hunting, Wildlife Resources, Natural Resources
Abstract
The growth and sprawl of the American black bear (Ursus americanus ) population have been observed and monitored in the past two decades, especially in south-central Kentucky. To better manage human-black bear interaction and develop informed policy and best practices, the current study sought to 1) understand south-central Kentucky residents’ current knowledge of and previous experience with black bears, 2) investigate residents’ attitudes toward black bears and regulated hunting in wildlife management; and 3) identify residents’ level of acceptance of various black bear related management actions in south-central Kentucky. From February to April 2017, residents of London and Stearns districts (southeastern regions) of the Daniel Boone National Forest, a black bear habitat, were invited to participate in this study. The results from 139 completed surveys showed that residents lacked sufficient knowledge about black bear populations in the region and received minimal information regarding black bear management efforts. In comparison to education efforts and relocation, regulated black bear hunting could be a cost-effective option to promote responsible use of wildlife resources and black bear population control. This study provided lessons and recommendations for black bear management in south-central Kentucky and may be of utilization for any other wildlife conservation areas.
Publication Title
Natural Resources
Volume
10
First Page
271
Last Page
283
DOI of Published Version
10.4236/nr.2019.107017
Publisher
Scientific Research Publishing
Rights
Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc
Recommended Citation
Liu, Hung-Ling (Stella); Bradley, Michael J.; Wu, I-Chun Nicky; and Maples, James N., "Resident Perceptions of Black Bear Management in South Central Kentucky" (2019). Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications. 409.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/hns_pubs/409
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.