Mountain Lion and Bear Conservation Strategies Report, AGFD, Jan ...

Table 7. Average and median age of harvested bears in Arizona based on tooth cementum analysis,
1995–2007.
Average Age Median Age
Year Males Females Total Males Females Total
1995 4.2 4.9 4.4 3.5 3.0 3.0
1996 4.9 6.1 5.3 4.0 5.0 5.0
1997 4.8 7.1 5.7 4.0 6.0 5.0
1998 5.9 5.6 5.8 5.0 5.0 5.0
1999 4.7 6.1 5.4 4.0 6.0 5.0
2000 5.9 6.8 6.3 5.0 6.0 5.0
2001 6.7 6.8 6.7 7.0 6.0 7.0
2002 6.6 7.1 6.8 6.0 7.0 6.0
2003 7.1 5.7 6.6 5.0 5.0 5.0
2004 6.4 5.4 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
2005 4.1 4.2 4.1 3.0 3.0 3.0
2006 5.1 7.0 5.8 3.0 7.0 4.0
2007 5.0 6.5 5.6 3.0 5.0 4.0
Female Harvest Limit Management System
Arizona’s bear hunt structures are designed to direct harvest toward the male segment of the bear
population through the use of female harvest limits by unit or across a combination of units. The
legal wildlife for all bear hunts is any bear except sows with cubs. Hunters are required to report
their harvested bears within 48 hours through a toll-free hot line and hunting is closed in units
where female harvest limits have been met. Closures occur at dark on the Wednesday following
the report of the female limit being met.
Beginning in spring 2008, bear harvest limits were further restricted with the implementation of
an annual female harvest limit, in addition to the individual season harvest limit, and includes all
female bears killed by Department personnel due to human-bear conflicts. This system may
close bear hunting in some units before a subsequent season is opened if the annual female
harvest limit is reached before the season opens.
In a few units, the female harvest consistently exceeds the established female harvest limit
(Table 8). Harvest limits are occasionally exceeded because multiple animals are harvested on a
single day or within the time period in which the season remains open (seasons close on
Wednesday evening).
Relative Abundance of Black Bears: Test of DNA Techniques in Units 35A and B
Arizona’s female harvest limits were first established in 1992 for a few units and for all units
beginning in 1995 (AZGFD Hunt Regulations 1992, 1995). Limits are based on the estimated
number of females occupying habitats of high, medium, and low quality. Habitat quality is the
limiting factor supporting black bear numbers, but factors such as habitat manipulation, nutrition,
predation, and hunting can all be proximate regulation mechanisms (Lindzey and
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