140,000-plus hunters seek Wisconsin bear tags, points

Madison — Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologists say bear hunters should again expect a quality hunt this fall, with the state seeing strong bear numbers in most zones.

For this season, more than 34,000 people applied for one of the 15,245 bear permits available for the 2027 hunt. More than 106,000 hunters opted to buy a preference point to improve their chances of drawing a harvest permit in a future lottery.

The 2026 bear season will run from Sept. 9 through Oct. 13, with specific regulations depending on which zone the hunter a drew. Hunters must know the zone in which they are licensed to hunt and the hunting regulations within that zone.

This year in zones A, B, and D, bait sitters went first, and the season opened Wednesday, Sept. 9. Hunting in those zones will remain restricted to bait only (or any method not using hounds, such as calling) through Tuesday, Sept. 15, since bait-sitters have the first week to themselves in those zones this year. Next year, hound hunters will go first starting the first Wednesday after Labor Day and bait sitters will have the final week of the season to themselves. This year, hound hunters in zones A, B, and D will run from Sept. 16 through Oct. 6, with bait-sitters sharing the woods. Since bait-sitters went first this year in those zones, hound hunters will have the last week to themselves, Oct. 7 to 13.

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Hunting regulations are less complicated in zones C, E, and F  where hunting with trailing hounds is not permitted. There the bear season runs Sept. 9 through Oct. 13 with the aid of bait and all other legal methods of bear hunting while not using trailing hounds.

Wisconsin has a thriving bear population estimated at around 24,000 animals, said Randy Johnson, the DNR’s large-carnivore biologist. The state’s bear population now covers more than half the state, primarily in the forested regions of northern and central Wisconsin, with a continued trend of slow southward expansion.

Careful and regulated public hunting of bears is the primary tool used to help keep bear numbers in balance with habitat across the state, Johnson said.

Hunting also plays a critical role in black bear research. All bears taken must be registered with the DNR, with several types of data collected during registration that supports the science behind bear management.

Hunters must register their bears by 5 p.m. the day after recovery. Hunters must also submit two upper premolar teeth to the DNR. These tooth samples provide important aging data that can be then used to monitor and ensure the health of Wisconsin’s bear population into the future.