A 33-year period without a bear hunt was broken last fall.

"We may need to have a limited bear hunt down the road," he said.

The bear hunt was the state's first since 1970.

It is the state's first bear hunt since 1970.

"Unless you are a member of a gun club or own private land, this decision ruins the bear hunt."

It will be the first legal black bear hunt in the state in 30 years.

California's bear hunt was suspended this season by a court ruling in a suit over a state environmental impact study.

"Our opposition to the grizzly bear hunt comes down to an issue of morality," he said.

After long debate, lawsuits and protests, the state's first black bear hunt since 1970 started in deep snow on Monday.

Once a general area is identified, a bear hunt usually begins by looking for claw marks on trees.