New York Hunters Kill 1,539 Bears During 2016 Seasons

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State conservation officials say bear hunters in New York state killed 1,539 black bears during the 2016 hunting seasons.

The Department of Environmental Conservation reports that hunters took a total of 1,025 black bears in the Southern Zone. That's about 10 percent less than in 2015, but slightly more than the five-year average.

In the Northern Zone, 514 bears were killed, approximately 12 percent fewer than in 2015 but on par with the historical average.

The heaviest dressed-weight bear reported to DEC in 2016 was 555 pounds, taken in the Franklin County town of Brandon.