It seems like the habitat is there for them in lots of places. There's a ton a dense piney woods in this region.

Do y'all see it ever happening?

More and more are starting to turn up on trail cams etc in South & West Texas. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are "established" or "making a comeback" but there are a few.

As with anything else in this modern world, its going to conflict with the ever expanding human population/encroachments. Even in states where Bears are a real thing all of the time, the interaction with them and humans can be a problem. I can only imagine what it would be like when Bubba and Cletus have them in their yard.

Is the Habitat there in East Texas? Yes. Is there water/food etc in East Texas? Yes. The problem is, East Texas.

I like wildlife but when bears flourish to the point that they have in cebtral Florida, it becomes a real nuisance. Once it gets started, population recovery can really gain momentum quickly.

They're everywhere here in East Tennessee. They don't seem like a huge problem.

There are some of of the Louisiana bears that are swimming the river - there is not many but they are coming

My brother has said the same thing. He lives in sevierville

I am not so sure that we have suitable habitat here in east Tx. Bear populations require a very large area of unbroken suitable habitat. While we have some large tracts of timberland here in east Texas, much of that is broken up by settlements scattered about. There are numerous residences, farms, pastures, roadways, etc. within these large tracts and little agriculture. While bears are commonly found in or around settlements in Tennessee and other places, these individuals wonder into these areas from breeding populations in more secluded less disturbed expanses. In the south, bears do not hibernate but need suitable denning sights such as caves or hollow trees big enough, which we do not have many of here in east Tx. Small populations of bears in Louisiana have been successful only in two spots -- an area in northeast LA and in the south central LA where there are many very large hollow cypress trees for denning and areas that are relatively undisturbed with enough agriculture crops (corn, soybeans, sugarcane) to supplement the bear's diets.

Human black bear interactions are benign 99.99 percent of the time. It largely comes down to making sure trash cans are locked, not having the woman next door leaving food out for them because she thinks they're cute, keeping bird feeders away from them, and contacting the DNR when there is one who wants to hang around. And not turning tail and running if you see one on a trail.
I live in black bear country and outside of an occasional sighting around a school where everyone freaks out, it's not that big a deal at all.

Fun fact, at the height of spring, there are upwards of 1000 bears in Shenandoah national park, I hike there on average maybe once a month and have for years, I have only ever even seen one there once. They generally stay clear of people.

Comeback could be a lot of things. Established(a little ambiguous) population? Breeding population in Texas, maybe, but unlikely. Huntable population? Doesn't seem likely, but hard to know what happens in the next 50 years. Some bears venturing into East Texas? Yes, as some have said they are already doing this a lititle bit.

Several over the last few years have ventured south from the Oklahoma population (mostly young wondering males supposedly). I believe most (if not all) of the sightings have been north of I-30. There's not a breeding population in that area yet but I could see that being a possibility. That area is relatively thin on human population and there's still decently large stretches of wilderness in the Sulpher River bottom areas.

I'm not ursus, but if they come to East Texas it will be via Louisiana and Arkansas as opposed to coming from west across 35 and 45.

SanAntoneAg said:

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I'm not ursus, but if they come to East Texas it will be via Louisiana and Arkansas as opposed to coming from west across 35 and 45.

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My thinking as well. The path forward from La and Ark is way more feasible in a short/med term timespan if bears are to reestablish.

Could a few migratory bears from the West push a few seeds into the East? Maybe, eventually, but that's a LONG way off, if ever.

I think the chatter about South and West bear was just a general muse at the bear prospects in the state as a whole without much thought about Geography.

Bears were native and common in Se Tx until they were eventually hunted out in the early 1900s. Including the Houston/ Harris County area.

The last bear population on the easter part of the state was in the "Big Thicket" of east Texas. They were certainly killed out but at the same time that area was largely developed. The Big Thicket is no longer very big or very thick.

Yes. And it included Harris, Montgomery, and Liberty County on the South end. Lots of good info on the hunts and stories of Liberty County judge Hightower including Teddy Roosevelt hunting bears with him in the area.

I'm skeptical that East Texas meth head poacher types would let the bears get established. I would expect them to get shot by ******s with junk firearms or poorly aimed arrows shortly after crossing into the state.

If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

We call them trash raccoons in CO

O.G. said:

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More and more are starting to turn up on trail cams etc in South & West Texas. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are "established" or "making a comeback" but there are a few.

As with anything else in this modern world, its going to conflict with the ever expanding human population/encroachments. Even in states where Bears are a real thing all of the time, the interaction with them and humans can be a problem. I can only imagine what it would be like when Bubba and Cletus have them in their yard.

Is the Habitat there in East Texas? Yes. Is there water/food etc in East Texas? Yes. The problem is, East Texas.

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I can tell you for a fact that people have been killing a lot of them in east central La for a number of years for nuisance reasons and their population continues to increase. East Texas has nothing on that area.

Aggie_2463 said:

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If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

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Yeah that'd be a real shame if "hunting" had to involve actual hunting.

ccard257 said:

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Aggie_2463 said:

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If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

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Yeah that'd be a real shame if "hunting" had to involve actual hunting.

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Regale is with your many tales of spot and stalk successes here in Texas sans the use of the golden nugget feed.

prepare to be regaled...

One time, I went for a walk in the woods with a gun, in the same area I had seen deer when I went for a walk in the woods without a gun. I saw a deer and I shot it. Another time I went and sat under a tree in the woods, in an area that looked to be heavily used by deer. A deer walked by and I shot it. Another time I went and sat by a log and banged some pieces of plastic together. You're not going to believe this, but the deer came running up to me like I had corn in my pockets! I decided not to shoot that one. There's more, I know you're on the edge of your seat...

I've shot the majority of the deer I've killed off a feeder or similar attractants. But I can't think of a worse argument against bears (or any native animal for that matter) than not being able to use one anymore. I'd happily take my feeder down today and never hunt one again if it meant bears would magically repopulate their historical range.

I've noticed that the prevalence of automatic deer feeders and utility vehicles has indeed correlated with the increase in the average belt length of hunters. You might be on to something there.

Heck, they're making it to West Texas.

Bear seen roaming Uvalde has been captured, relocated

Aggie_2463 said:

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If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

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Most states east of us that have black bear populations are feeder allowed states, and they are in common use in those states.

You have to make adjustments, just like we did when hogs became a nuicanse. It isn't the end of the world, and there are already feeders on the market that are at least advertised as bear proof.

Ahhh....so you are only a halfassed true hunter then. Got it.

I've seen a bear in East Texas. Maybe 30 plus years ago on the side of highway 84 in between Mt. Enterprise and Timpson. Urus convinced me it was a relocated bear dumped at the state line by Louisiana wildlife folks. Eventually wandered home.

Seems like a good place to put this. My sister saw the one cutting across her backyard, in the Florida panhandle, the other day. First they have seen at the house. About an hour west of Tallahassee.

Deer cant even survive from all the outlaws in east texas what makes you think a bear has a chance?

schmellba99 said:

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Aggie_2463 said:

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If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

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Most states east of us that have black bear populations are feeder allowed states, and they are in common use in those states.

You have to make adjustments, just like we did when hogs became a nuicanse. It isn't the end of the world, and there are already feeders on the market that are at least advertised as bear proof.

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Down in old mexico, them there black bears will tear up a feeder quick style.

Aggie_2463 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Aggie_2463 said:

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If you enjoy hunting a feeder you don't want bears - imagine a 400# coon tearing up everything

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Most states east of us that have black bear populations are feeder allowed states, and they are in common use in those states.

You have to make adjustments, just like we did when hogs became a nuicanse. It isn't the end of the world, and there are already feeders on the market that are at least advertised as bear proof.

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Down in old mexico, them there black bears will tear up a feeder quick style.

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They can, but there are a lot of feeders and a lot of deer killed in Mexico every year.

A buddy of mine hunts outside of Del Rio on the Mexico side, they had 1 black bear last year. Haven't had any issues this year with them.

I saw a black bear in Nacogdoches County about 10 years ago. It crossed the FM road I was driving on and was probably having a trash can meal bc it came from a house yard and into a thicket. It was just past an SFA ag center, somewhere south of the city. Apparently there are several in Angelina County thickets as well.

This was a few months ago just outside Monterrey, Mexico. Bear wiped out the kids enchiladas. If they end up in ETX no telling what might happen, but I am fairly confident no bear would survive something like this in East Texas.

RGV AG said:

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This was a few months ago just outside Monterrey, Mexico. Bear wiped out the kids enchiladas. If they end up in ETX no telling what might happen, but I am fairly confident no bear would survive something like this in East Texas.

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David Beards Catfish King would be wiped out