The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is considering allowing black bear hunting along the Grand Strand.
The DNR board of directors met in Columbia Thursday to discuss it.
The board says the University of Tennessee did a population study on the black bear population along the Grand Strand and found that over the past decade, the black bear population has expanded in geography and numbers.
They say we now have the biggest population since colonial times.
According to DNR, black bears "are usually shy, evasive and non-aggressive toward people." The agency says there has never been a human fatality or even an attack attributed to a black bear in South Carolina.
DNR says they expect fewer than 10% of the black bear population would be affected by hunting, so they consider it to be sustainable.
There are two populations of black bear in South Carolina, one in the upstate and the other in the coastal areas of Horry and Georgetown counties.
We're waiting to find out when a decision will be made.
