Officials ponder a black-bear season

Nevada wildlife officials, who have dealt with a record number of bear complaints, are considering holding the state’s first-ever black-bear hunting season.

About 300 adult bears live in the state, primarily around Lake Tahoe.

“It’s a hunter recreation opportunity. We believe there is a harvestable surplus of bears out there,” said Kevin Lansford, wildlife staff specialist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

But experts warned wildlife commissioners not to look at hunting as a way to deal with bears raiding neighborhoods in search of food. Such bears typically spend their lives close to homes, while a hunt probably would be restricted to wild bears in the backcountry, they said.