Group concerned about NM bear management

No one knows exactly how many black bears are roaming the mountains that border New Mexico's most populous area, but conservationists on Tuesday accused state wildlife managers of targeting the area's bears for removal to bring an end to nuisance calls. The state Game and Fish Department adamantly denied the accusations, saying the number of bears in the Sandia Mountains that were removed or killed in 2010 and 2011 is far below what the group is alleging. Sandia Mountain BearWatch contends a review of logs kept by Game and Fish conservation officers showed 49 bears in the mountain range were trapped and either relocated or killed during the two-year period. In the last five years, the group said 69 bears have been killed or relocated. "This is very, very destructive to the overall population," said Jan Hayes, founder of the bear-conservation group. Hayes argued the agency's policies are based on inflated estimates of bear populations statewide, and said the Sandia Mountains need a healthy population to maintain an ecological balance...more