Spring bear hunters must be careful observers

HUNTING — When Idaho’s spring black bear hunting season opens Friday, hunters must be especially careful to identify the species of bear they are looking at before they pull the trigger.

Species identification important: It’s legal to take a black bear but illegal to kill a grizzly.

In Idaho, it is legal to take a female black bear as long as no cubs are present, so it’s critcal for the welfare of several bears at once that hunters take the time to watch for cubs.