Black Bear 2026: Maine, MN, WI & PA Seasons

September is when North America's black bear season hits its stride. Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin all open premier bear hunts within the first two weeks of the month, and Pennsylvania stacks its own high-volume seasons through October and November — together covering the full range of bear hunting styles: bait, hounds, and glass-and-stalk. With bear populations at record highs across the Northeast and Upper Midwest, hunter success rates are strong and the meat is as good as it gets on a September diet of berries, apples, and acorns. Here's the 2026 breakdown of dates, regulations, and how to hunt bears in all four states.

2026 Black Bear Season Dates at a Glance

Every state limits hunters to one bear per license year, and every state requires bears to be registered or checked shortly after harvest — know the check-in requirement before you pull the trigger.

Maine: The Bait Capital of the East

Maine runs the biggest September bear show in the country. Bait hunters get first crack, with the bait season running Aug. 31 through Sept. 26 and bait sites legal to start working from Aug. 1. Hound hunters join in Sept. 14 through Oct. 30 — nonresidents must hunt hounds with a licensed guide — and still hunters work the same late-August-to-late-November window, giving bowhunters on deer trips a legitimate second target.

Maine residents hunt bear on the $26 resident hunting license plus a $10 bear permit. Nonresidents need the $115 nonresident hunting license plus a $74 bear permit for bait or hound hunting; a $40 late-season permit covers nonresidents who want to hunt bear during the deer firearms season. All bears must be registered within 18 hours of harvest at an official check station. The state's North Woods — thousands of square miles of working forestland crisscrossed by logging roads — offers unmatched access if you secure permission or book a camp.

Minnesota: Draw Country Runs Sept. 1 – Oct. 18

Minnesota's bear season opens Sept. 1 and closes Oct. 18, with about 5,330 licenses spread across 15 permit areas for 2026. It's a drawing system — apply in the spring for a quota-area license — but no-quota licenses go on sale July 1 for areas that don't require a draw. Licenses run $44 for residents and $247 for nonresidents, and both baiting and still hunting are legal. Dogs are not permitted for bear in Minnesota.

The play here is food. September bears are on a feeding binge — berries, hazelnuts, apples, and standing corn in the agricultural fringe. Bait hunters work the Northwoods timber, while glass-and-stalk hunters work the field edges and powerline cuts of the northwest ag country. Trail cameras are legal and invaluable; run them on bait sites and field corners to pattern movement before you commit to a stand.

Wisconsin: Bait, Hounds, and the Sept. 9 Opener

Wisconsin's bear season opens Sept. 9, with a zone-based structure that dictates what's legal where. Northern zones A, B, and D allow dogs: Sept. 9-15 runs bait and all non-dog methods; Sept. 16 – Oct. 6 opens the full menu including hounds; and Oct. 7-13 is dogs only. Southern zones C, E, and F — no dogs — run bait and still hunting straight through Sept. 9 – Oct. 13.

Wisconsin uses a preference-point lottery. The application deadline is Dec. 10 of the prior year (with a $4.50 application fee), and drawn hunters pay $49 for the resident Class A bear license ($251 nonresident). Unclaimed harvest authorizations go on sale as $10 bonus tags. Apply every year — points reset to zero after three years of not applying, and they're your currency for the best zones.

Pennsylvania: Appalachian Spot-and-Stalk

Pennsylvania runs a different playbook — no bait, no dogs, just hunters, timber, and some of the densest bear country in the East. The 2026 archery bear season runs Oct. 17-25 across most WMUs (WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D get an extended archery window that overlaps the archery deer season), muzzleloader runs Oct. 17-24, and the general firearms season is Nov. 21-24, with select WMUs extending through Dec. 5. A resident bear license is $16.97 on top of the $20.97 general hunting license.

Pennsylvania bear hunting is a group sport. Still-hunting ridgelines and oak flats produces, but organized drives through big timber are the state's signature — line up a crew, push the thick cover, and post standers on the escape routes. The state's bear population has exploded over the last two decades, and the late-November general season routinely tops 3,000-4,000 bears statewide.

Tactics by Method

• Baiting (ME, MN, WI). Build the pattern before the season. Start bait on schedule, check cameras every 3-5 days, and keep human scent off the site. A mature bear will circle downwind before committing — set your stand or blind 20-30 yards off the bait with the wind in your face. Shoot low-third, broadside, and give a hit bear hours before trailing.
• Hounds (ME, WI). Trust the dog work and the guides. When the pack strikes a hot track, bears typically circle back through their core area — position yourself on a ridge, logging road, or powerline crossing the likely loop. Big bears don't tree as readily; expect a race, not a corner.
• Glass-and-stalk (MN, PA, ME). Find the food, then find the bear. September bears feed hard in daylight along field edges, berry patches, and clearcuts. Glass from a distance, map the feeding pattern, and make your move on a wind-favorable approach — or set up 100 yards off the feed and wait.
• Read the sign. Fresh rubs, torn stumps, and scat full of berries and apples tell you where the bear is living. Trail cameras turn that intel into a pattern — set them on crossings, not just bait.
• Expect the big one. September bears are fat, glossy, and at their best weight of the year. A 300-pound Maine or Wisconsin bruin is a trophy anywhere — and a 400-plus-pound PA mountain bear is a once-in-a-lifetime animal.

Licenses & Costs Quick Reference

Season structures, zone boundaries, and fees change every year — confirm the current regulations with each state agency before you apply or book. If you're planning a combined trip, our ruffed grouse guide covers the Northwoods timber that sits right on top of the bear country, and the Midwest archery deer guide maps the September deer seasons you can stack with a bear hunt. Browse the hunting seasons and regs & licenses hubs for the rest of your fall calendar.