Bear-specific Hunting Regulations
Legal Hunting Equipment and Methods
- Legal Hunting Equipment for bear is the same as legal hunting equipment for deer, except shotguns must be 20-gauge or larger and may use only rifled slugs.
- It is illegal to kill a denned bear or one that is being pursued by dogs.
Bear Checking Requirements
Option 1: Immediately upon taking a bear (before moving it), you must check your harvest online and have a confirmation number readily available.
-or-
Option 2: Fill out a game tag provided below in ink. You may substitute a piece of paper for the tag, it must include the hunter’s name, the date and bear zone of harvest or the confirmation number written legibly in ink. After tagging your bear, check it online within 24 hours of harvest to check your bear.
Successful hunters must collect and submit a premolar to fulfill the check requirement for a bear. Upon checking your bear, a shipping package will be mailed to you. The premolar must be submitted within 7 days after you receive your premolar package from AGFC.
Feeding and Baiting Bears
Baiting is the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of salt, grain or other feed that could serve to lure or attract wildlife to, on or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them. Hunters may bait wildlife, except:
- Bears may not be fed or baited for any reason (including photography or viewing) except from 30 days before bear season through the end of bear season on private land in bear zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A.
- In the CWD Zone, bears may be baited on private land from 30 days before bear season through the end of bear season, however the only bait that may be used before Sept. 1, is dog food, cat food, pastries/bread, cooking oils/grease, non-wildlife meat scraps, popped popcorn, fish and fish byproducts. After Sept. 1, corn and other baits that attract deer may be used in accordance with CWD regulations
