First Bear Ever Taken in Norwich

A bear has been taken in the Town of Norwich, the first on record according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Derrick Miller said he heard a noise in the bushes while hunting and was expecting to see a deer emerge. Instead it was a 300 pound black bear. The bear noticed Miller, ran at him, and was shot.

Although this was the first bear to be taken in the Town of Norwich, the D.E.C. says we can expect to see more in the Southern Tier. When bear populations were dropping in 2000, New York state placed them under protection. Since then the bear population has been recovering and are now expanding in the Southern Tier.