Bear is the most finely cut species on this site: a state is rarely one season but a patchwork of management units, each with its own weeks. The earliest opener we track is Florida on December 6, 2025. Every state below links to its own page with the full segment table, bag limits and legal light.
01 — Opening dates, earliest first
| State | Opens | First segment | Through | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida bear season | Dec 6, 2025 | Any legal weapon (permit hunt) | Dec 31, 2026 | Opened Dec 6, 2025 |
| Utah bear season | Mar 28, 2026 | Limited-entry — spring (no bait) | Nov 8, 2026 | Opened Mar 28, 2026 |
| Oregon bear season | Apr 1, 2026 | Spring controlled hunt (drawn permit; no bait, no dogs) | Dec 31, 2026 | Opened Apr 1, 2026 |
| New Mexico bear season | Apr 15, 2026 | Draw permit — spring Valle Vidal hunt (any legal sporting arm) | Dec 15, 2026 | Opened Apr 15, 2026 |
| Washington bear season | Aug 1, 2026 | Any legal method (dogs & bait prohibited statewide) | Nov 15, 2026 | Opened Aug 1, 2026 |
| California bear season | Aug 8, 2026 | General | Dec 27, 2026 | Opened Aug 8, 2026 |
| Maine bear season | Aug 28, 2026 | Youth bear hunting with bait | Nov 28, 2026 | Opened Aug 28, 2026 |
| West Virginia bear season | Aug 29, 2026 | Firearms, with or without dogs — segment 1 | Jan 31, 2027 | Opened Aug 29, 2026 |
| Minnesota bear season | Sep 1, 2026 | Firearms & archery, drawn license required | Oct 18, 2026 | Opened Sep 1, 2026 |
| Colorado bear season | Sep 2, 2026 | Archery | Nov 22, 2026 | Opened Sep 2, 2026 |
| Massachusetts bear season | Sep 7, 2026 | Rifle (.23 caliber or larger) | Dec 12, 2026 | Opened Sep 7, 2026 |
| Arkansas bear season | Sep 9, 2026 | Archery | Dec 25, 2026 | Opened Sep 9, 2026 |
| Michigan bear season | Sep 9, 2026 | Period 1 — bait & still-hunting only Sept 9–13; bait and dogs both permitted from Sept 14 on | Oct 26, 2026 | Opened Sep 9, 2026 |
| Wisconsin bear season | Sep 9, 2026 | Bait & other legal methods, no dogs | Oct 13, 2026 | Opened Sep 9, 2026 |
| Georgia bear season | Sep 12, 2026 | Archery | Jan 11, 2027 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| New York bear season | Sep 12, 2026 | Southern Zone early season (all legal weapons: bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, or rifle where allowed) | Dec 31, 2026 | Opened Sep 12, 2026 |
| Nevada bear season | Sep 15, 2026 | Any legal weapon | Dec 1, 2026 | Opened Sep 15, 2026 |
| Kentucky bear season | Sep 19, 2026 | Archery/crossbow | Dec 16, 2026 | Opens in 3 days |
| Pennsylvania bear season | Sep 19, 2026 | Archery | Dec 13, 2026 | Opens in 3 days |
| Tennessee bear season | Sep 26, 2026 | Archery only (still-hunt, no hounds) | Jan 3, 2027 | Opens in 10 days |
| Virginia bear season | Sep 28, 2026 | Early firearms | Jan 2, 2027 | Opens in 12 days |
| Oklahoma bear season | Oct 1, 2026 | Archery | Nov 1, 2026 | Opens in 15 days |
| North Carolina bear season | Oct 3, 2026 | Mountain BMU — segment 1 | Jan 1, 2027 | Opens in 17 days |
| South Carolina bear season | Oct 11, 2026 | Still hunt (no dogs) — private land | Oct 30, 2026 | Opens in 25 days |
| New Jersey bear season | Oct 12, 2026 | Segment A — archery | Dec 19, 2026 | Opens in 26 days |
| Missouri bear season | Oct 17, 2026 | Archery, crossbow, muzzleloader, centerfire rifle/handgun (expanding bullets), shotgun (slugs only) — permit-holder's zone only | Oct 30, 2026 | Opens in 31 days |
| Maryland bear season | Oct 26, 2026 | All legal weapons (rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, vertical bow, crossbow, or qualifying air gun) | Oct 31, 2026 | Opens in 40 days |
| Louisiana bear season | Dec 5, 2026 | Any legal weapon (firearm, muzzleloader, or archery — see bagLimits for specs) — 8 permits (5 landowner, 3 general) | Dec 20, 2026 | Opens in 80 days |
“Opens” is the earliest date anywhere in that state, and “First segment” names what that date belongs to — an archery segment and the firearms season can be weeks apart inside the same unit. States split seasons into segments with closed weeks between them, so read the state page before you plan a date.
02 — What changes from state to state
Whether the season splits by weapon at all is a state decision. Pennsylvania runs separate archery, muzzleloader, special-firearms and extended-firearms segments by Wildlife Management Unit; North Carolina runs a single either-weapon season per Bear Management Unit instead, some units in two blocks.
Reporting is mandatory and on a clock. States commonly require the harvest registered before the animal is moved, skinned or left unattended — North Carolina also requires a premolar tooth mailed in by January 31 for its biological sampling.
A separate bear licence or stamp usually sits on top of the general hunting licence, and is often not part of a combination licence even where one is held.
03 — FAQ
When does bear season start?
It depends on the unit as much as the state. The earliest opener we track is listed first in the table above; within a state, units can open weeks apart.
When does bear season end?
Bear seasons generally close between November and January. Several states run an extended firearms segment in selected units after the statewide season has closed.
Do I need a license as well as a tag?
Yes — every state requires a hunting license, and most add a species tag, permit or stamp on top of it. Costs and age rules sit on each state's license page, linked from its bear season page.
04 — Elsewhere in the almanac
Each state page is read from that state's own wildlife agency and carries the date it was checked. The most recent verification across these 28 states was 2026-08-15. Season dates carry legal weight — confirm against the agency's own regulations before you hunt.