In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, host Matt Wyatt welcomes back Anthony Ballard, Black Bear Program Coordinator for MDWFP, for a deep dive into one of Mississippi’s greatest wildlife comeback stories. Anthony shares updates from this year’s den checks, which revealed a record number of litters across the Delta. He explains how female bears raise cubs in cypress trees, what threatens their survival, and how the population is expanding across the state. The conversation covers bear behavior, cub development, and the challenges of darting a live bear at five yards—all while highlighting the importance of public education in reducing human-wildlife conflict.

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