Do some public areas offer better chances for harvesting a trophy bear?

Big bears and small bears are available for harvest in all four huntable bear zones. AGFC biologists have caught 300- to 400-pound bears in the Ozarks, Ouachitas and the Delta. Bears that size show up in the harvest each year. You just have to get out there and find them.

The tough part is these big bears are difficult to pattern, even with baiting. A big bear can be on an Ozark bench eating acorns one day then travel to a bait site 10 miles away the next. You can never tell, and each time you sit on the stand could be the day you see the Big One.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with harvesting a smaller bear, especially from a management standpoint. In terms of a trophy, if a hunter wants a nice bear rug, they often think they want a big bear. Well, a big bear rug from a 300- to 400-pound bear might be 5 1/2 to 6 feet long. A bear rug from a 150-pound bear will be 5 feet long -- not much smaller than the pelt from a 300-, 400-pounder. Also, the fur on the smaller bears is often shinier and fuller than on very large bears, and these often make nicer rugs. Also keep in mind that we have some big bears out there, but they aren't nearly as abundant as smaller bears.

Do you have any closing advice?

Yes. Arkansas bear hunters should be prepared for success. Every year I hear stories of hunters killing bears, and they find out it's tough to haul a bear out of the woods. Many don't understand how to properly care for a bear either. As a result, the meat and hide spoil.

Be prepared with a truck, ATV (if legal), horses, mules or 10 to 12 of your best friends to help get your bear out of the woods in a timely manner. Bears don't have handles, and it can be a real challenge to get them out. October and November can bring hot humid weather to Arkansas, and bears have thick skin, thick fur and thick layers of fat. These factors can spoil meat and fur quickly.

It's legal to quarter your bear in the field. Quartering helps cool the bear meat and facilitates getting the bear out of the woods. Cooling the meat as soon as possible is the key to great-tasting bear meat. Take your photos in the woods to show your friends; then, skin and quarter the bear quickly. Get the skin to your taxidermist for proper care and preservation. Bear meat makes excellent table fare as long as you care for it properly. Furthermore, it is illegal to discard edible portions of any game.

2005 ARKANSAS BEAR SEASONS
Archery/Crossbow	Zones 1 and 2: Oct 1-Nov. 30, 2005. Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed.
Muzzeloader	Zones 1 and 2: Oct. 15-23, 2005. Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed.
Modern Gun	Zones 1 and 2: Nov. 7-30, 2005. Zone 5: Dec. 10-18, 2005. Arkansas lands lying east of the Mississippi River are closed. Zone 5A: Dec. 3-18, 2005. Arkansas lands lying east of the Mississippi River are closed. Zones 3, 4, 6, and 7: Closed.
Bag Limit: One.	Zone Quotas: 200 bears may be taken in Zone 1 by any method; 150 bears may be taken in zone 2 by any method; 35 bears may be taken in Zone 5 by modern gun, and 15 bears may be taken in Zone 5A by modern gun.
Special Youth Modern Gun Bear Hun	Zones 1 and 2: Nov. 5-6, 2005. Limit one. No dogs. Includes the WMA's in bear zones 1 and 2 but does not include WMAs requiring a deer permit to harvest a bear.

If you follow Eastridge's advice, if you are patient and do some preseason scouting, and if luck is on your side, this year you could kill a Bear State bruin, one of North America's most magnificent and storied game animals. May luck be with you.

(Editor's Note: Keith Sutton is the author of Hunting Arkansas: The Sportsman's Guide to Natural State Game. To order autographed copies, send a check or money order for $28.25 -- Arkansas residents should add sales tax -- to C & C Outdoors, 15601 Mountain Dr., Alexander, AR 72002.)