Wisconsin's 2026 Bear Hunting Season Opens September 9

Mark your calendars — Wisconsin's 2026 bear hunting season kicks off on Wednesday, September 9, and runs through October 13. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), hunters who put in the scouting and prep work should be in for another quality season this fall.

Know Your Zone Before You Head Out

Bear regulations in Wisconsin vary depending on which Bear Management Zone your license covers, so it's essential to check the DNR's zone map before you plan your hunt.

Prime Bear Habitat

Wisconsin's black bears thrive in large, mostly unbroken tracts of forest — the kind of landscape that offers plenty of food, dense cover, and quiet places to den up for the winter. Bears aren't picky about a single tree species, but they do need a healthy mix of habitat features within their range:

●       Mixed hardwood and conifer forest — Bears favor forested areas that combine hardwoods like oak and aspen with conifer stands, which provide both food and year-round cover.

●       Reliable natural food sources — Acorns, hazelnuts, berries, insects, and other native plants make up the bulk of a bear's diet, with diet shifting seasonally as different food sources become available.

●       Thick understory and wetland edges — Dense brush, swamps, and regenerating cutover areas give bears cover to move, feed, and raise cubs away from disturbance.

●       Suitable den sites — Hollow trees, brush piles, rock outcroppings, excavated ground dens, and even above-ground nests all serve as winter denning spots. Most bears enter their dens in October and emerge in late March or early April.

Home ranges vary quite a bit by sex and age. Sows with cubs tend to stay closer to home, with ranges around 6 square miles, while adult males roam much farther — often 35 square miles or more, overlapping the territories of several females. That kind of range means quality habitat has to stretch across a large, connected area to support a healthy population.

The State of Wisconsin's Bear Population

Wisconsin's black bear population is thriving, with an estimated 24,000 bears roaming the state. While the bear's traditional stronghold has been the northern third of Wisconsin, healthy populations are now common well beyond that core range — across the forested northern three-quarters of the state as well as the western half. Abundant food and suitable habitat have fueled that expansion, and the DNR notes bears continue to push slowly into new territory farther south and east as well.

Regulated hunting remains the DNR's primary tool for keeping that population in balance with available habitat — and it does double duty as a research engine. Every bear taken has to be registered, feeding valuable data into the state's long-term bear management science.

Where to Learn More

For full details on regulations, hunting hours, and how to complete registration and tooth submission, visit the DNR's Bear Hunting webpage.

For more information on how to manage your wildlife habitat, contact the Foresters and Wildlife Specialists at Woodland Management Service at 715-204-9671 or 715-204-4113.

Good luck out there, and stay safe.