Overview

• The commission unanimously approved a 23-day hunt from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28, 2025, marking the first bear hunting season in a decade.
• A random drawing will allocate 187 permits across 31 counties, with hunters limited to one bear each and no targeting of cubs or females with cubs.
• Hunting methods approved include bait stations, firearms, archery and special private-land harvest programs for properties over 5,000 acres.
• The use of hunting dogs will be phased in starting in 2027 after a two-year delay, eventually allowing up to six dogs per hunter.
• State officials say the hunt will manage a rebounding bear population and reduce human-bear conflicts, but conservationists and residents call it unnecessary and harmful.