FWP maintains adjusted reporting requirements for black bear hunters

Courtesy MT FWP

Consistent with adjustments made during spring, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will continue with the adjusted harvest reporting requirements for the fall black bear hunting season.

The archery-only season starts Sept. 5 in most areas. The general fall season starts Sept. 15. All successful black bear hunters are required to report their harvest through the FWP Harvest Reporting Line 1-877-FWP-WILD (1-877-397-9453) within 48 hours of harvest. Unlike in years past, FWP will not require a mandatory carcass inspection, hide seal or tooth collection.

In place of mandatory tooth collection, FWP will be initiating a voluntary tooth collection process whereby a hunter may extract and submit a tooth to FWP to determine the age of the harvested black bear. FWP biologists use this age information, along with the sex of the bear, to manage bear populations in Montana. A submission form is available at fwp.mt.gov/hunting.

All reporting and inspection requirements remain in place for wolves, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bobcats, and otter, as described in the printed 2020 hunting regulations for those species. For information about specific times and locations for tagging animals, contact regional FWP offices. The archery-only seasons for wolves, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep open Sept. 5 in most areas.