Nevada hunters take four bears, including 700-pound male

Four bears have been killed since Nevada's first black bear hunting season began Saturday.

Department of Wildlife officials say a huge male bear weighing about 700 pounds was killed Tuesday in the Kingsbury Grade area.

Another male was taken Monday in the Sweetwater Mountains south of Wellington, and two female bears were killed over the weekend when the season opened.

Regulations adopted by the Nevada Wildlife Commission sets a maximum quota of 20 bears. Of those, only six can be female. The season runs through December or until those limits are reached.

Statistics from the California Department of Fish and Game show 1,500 bears were killed by hunters last year in that state, which is down from 1,700 in 2009 and more than 2,000 in 2008.