700-pound bear killed in Douglas

The biggest bear taken so far in Nevada's first hunt was killed Tuesday in Douglas County.

A 700-pound male bear was hunted between Highway 50 and Kingsbury Grade, according to Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy. The bear, estimated at 7 years old, was the fourth taken so far in a hunt that started over the weekend.

A 500-pound male bear was killed Monday in the Sweetwater Mountains. That bear was originally thought to have been in the Pine Grove Mountains, which are farther east. The Sweetwaters are across Antelope Valley from the Pine Nut Mountains.

Healy said all the bears that have been hunted have been wild.

"We have never touched any of these bears," he said. "They've never been tagged or identified as garbage bears. The hunters are staying in wild areas, and the bears that have been taken are wild bears. There are a lot of bears up there."

Nevada's first bear hunt started Sunday. A total of 16 more bears will be hunted unless hunters get six female bears first.

"You want to be very conservative and make sure you don't take too many females," Healy said. "Males aren't what drives any wildlife population."

The bear hunt is scheduled to continue until Dec. 31 or until all the bears have been taken.

A Lake Tahoe group called NoBearHuntNV sued to block the hunt, saying there wasn't adequate public notice, but its challenge was overturned.

Regulations approved by the Nevada Wildlife Commission established the season, tag quota and other rules for the hunt, including one that says that no female bear with cubs can be killed.

A hunting tag costs $50 for residents and $200 for nonresidents. In all, 45 tags were issued, but some of those hunters will leave empty-handed.