South Carolina legislators want hunters to kill more bears near tourist-jammed Myrtle Beach to reduce conflicts between people and bears.
The state legislature is close to approving a bill that would allow virtually anyone wanting to kill a black bear to get state approval during the fall hunting season in Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties.
Under the current system, the state holds a drawing to see who gains the right to hunt bears – but that too greatly limits the number of hunters needed to adequately cull the bear population, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The new plan would provide approvals to most people who sign…
