Spring Black Bear License Deadline

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It may seem too early in the year to talk about hunting, but the deadline for purchasing a spring bear hunting license is only a month away. Black bear hunters who plan on taking part in the spring season need to purchase a bear hunting license by April 14. Two years ago, the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission passed a requirement that spring black bear hunters purchase their license no later than April 14. Anyone who buys a black bear license April 15 or later cannot use the license until the fall season. The regulation was enacted because of concerns that a few hunters would buy a license after shooting a bear. The spring bear season opens April 15 and closes in May or June depending on the area. Check the big game hunting regulations for details. Like last year, the 2000 black bear licenses are composed of a carcass tag and a hide tag. Successful hunters are required to immediately validate the hide tag and attach it to the hide. After the hide is removed from the carcass, the carcass tag must be separated from the hide tag and attached to the carcass. Within five days of harvesting a black bear (or within five days of arriving at a trailhead in the backcountry areas), the successful hunter must present to a FWP official the complete bear hide (with proof of sex remaining naturally attached) and skull for purposes of inspection and removal of a tooth for aging.