The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission recently approved a black bear hunting opportunity in southeastern Montana. The new hunting area is called a Bear Management Unit (BMU) 700. The hunting unit generally includes most of FWP’s Region 7.

To hunt in the spring black bear season, black bear hunters must purchase a license by April 14. Licenses purchased after April 14 can only be used for the fall black bear season. Only one black bear license a year is issued to an individual. Hunters are reminded that they must successfully complete bear ID training before purchasing a black bear license. Hunters who have already successfully passed the bear identification test do not need to retake the training. However, all black bear hunters are urged to continuously hone their bear identification skills to distinguish a black bear from a grizzly.   Grizzly bears, a federally protected, threatened species, are not hunted in Montana.

To take the test, go to the FWP web site at www.fwp.mt.gov under Education, and click on the Black Bear ID test icon. Complete the training and test, and then present the printed on-line certificate you receive to purchase a license this year. Paper versions of the training and test are also available.

The spring black bear season is April 15–May 31 and either sex may be harvested. The fall season is October 1–November 26 and either sex may be harvested. Bear hunting is open to harvest of male and female bears, but sows with cubs and individual cubs (less than one year old) may not be taken. The fall black bear license must be purchased by August 31. Hunters should be very familiar with the Montana Bear Hunting Regulations before heading to the field.

The spring harvest quota is 2 and the fall quota is 2 black bears. A person having harvested a black bear in the spring or fall must personally notify an FWP official in administrative region 7 within 48 hours of harvest.

When the harvest quota is reached or approached, the black bear season in BMU 700 will close upon 48 hours notice, but no later than the last date of season shown in the regulations.

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page