The first days of September often arrive as a steamy reminder of the quickly fading summer months. Yet, hints of fall are showing up everywhere.
In many of the upper New England states, September signals the opening of fall bear hunting season, with Maine’s season already started (Aug. 31), or about to, by the time you read this column. Vermont and New Hampshire are right behind, sharing an opening date for black bear of Sept. 1, with Massachusetts being the last New England state to open for bear on Sept. 7.
Neither Connecticut nor Rhode Island currently has an open season (to the general hunting public) for bear hunting. Still, reports show that black bear, and black bear hunting seasons, are generally expanding across significant parts of the Northeast as growing populations, along with frequent human-bear conflict, have wildlife agencies working overtime to increase hunting opportunities throughout our New England states.
Because of this population boom, states are also finding the need for more liberal thinking, when it comes to longer seasons and higher harvest limits, as imperative. For example: Massachussetts has recently made momentous changes to its black bears seasons, giving hunters more opportunities along with an expanded hunting season, while expanding overall hunter participation, due mainly to a population now hovering at around 6,000!
In Vermont, wildlife officials are actively proposing extensions to push the bear season length through mid-Dec. alongside potential two-bear bag limits in high-density zones, as populations push beyond the management goals for a fifth straight year. Both New Hampshire and Maine, while easily maintaining a long established and vigorous managed annual harvest, are continually adjusting regional rules and quotas to continue enjoying a healthy, and ever-expanding, population.
That’s impressive, considering just a few short decades ago, this wasn’t the case. In my own home state of Massachusetts, bear numbers are increasing by about 8% annually, ranging from 4,500-5,500 bruins statewide. And even Connecticut, the Nutmeg State, is having problems with growing bear populations estimated now to be nearing 1,000-1,200, up over half from a survey done back in 2016!
In light of this, talks on establishing a limited bear hunting season in Connecticut are now in the early stages of serious discussion. I myself have seen black bears in Connecticut, when hunting for deer, at least twice!
Massachusetts will now be open to black bear hunting, but in different segments, starting Sept. 7 and running through Dec. 12, in zones 1-14.
The first segment is listed from Sept. 7 through Oct. 3, with rifles, revolver, muzzleloaders, and archery all allowed during this period. The second segment runs from Oct. 5 through Nov. 28 with all the above weapons still allowed, with the exception of revolvers.
Finally, to coincide with the shotgun season for deer, Nov. 30, through Dec. 12, with muzzleloader, archery, and shotgun, all legal to use during this cycle.
Under these new regulations, the previous multi-part split season has been combined into a single continuous season in the Bay State. Of course, the hope is that this will help better manage a black bear population on the verge of becoming out of control.
While the final 2025 black bear harvest statistics and specific breakdown data for Massachusetts are not yet detailed and in print, I expect last year’s harvest to be much the same as you’ve seen over the past years listed here with recent statewide harvest totals:
2024: 262 bears
2023: 245 bears
2022: 223 bears
2021: 218 bears
2020: 325 bears (record-high harvest)
The harvest limit in Massachusetts remains at one bear per calendar year. The hope is that a longer season, more precise firearms opportunities, and record numbers of black bears, will lead to higher hunter participation and, hopefully, higher harvest numbers in 2026.
But with hunters only harvesting around 6% of the population annually, the final verdict on that will remain in the hands of “hunter participation”, which is an extremely important component.
Because unlike other states, baiting and running bear with dogs is illegal in Massachusetts. Which means for bear hunters in this Commonwealth, it all boils down to pre-season scouting, weather conditions, ability to find natural food, and building good relationships with farmers who grow crops that bears like to eat.
That said, this year, while doing some early scouting for deer, I’ve noticed a decent mass crop, with wild apples showing up everywhere you might expect them to. While this may bode well for hunters, the fact remains that we just don’t have enough bear hunters to significantly keep the populations in check.
Maine, on the other hand, has been doing fairly good job with this. But in other states, with fewer and fewer hunters pursuing them, I think bear populations have nowhere else to go but up!
Which is good for some, but perhaps, not so much for others!
