Why It Matters: Black bears present hunters with the opportunity to get afield in pursuit of one of the most storied big game animals in the country, both past and present. Simultaneously, black bear hunters generate valuable conservation funding dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF).
Highlights:
- Nearly every Southeastern state (except for Alabama and Mississippi) provides opportunities for hunters to pursue, or at least apply to hunt, black bears.
- Florida and Louisiana are the most recent states to establish a black bear hunt.
- States like North Carolina, for example, rank among the top destinations for black bear hunting in the country.
Hunting black bears may not be top of mind for many hunters in the Southeast this time of year, especially with the rut in full swing across much of the region. However, deer hunters have an array of opportunities to both punch their tags and fill their freezers in the Southeast. While white-tailed deer remain a staple across the region, hunters can also pursue a less common protein source – the black bear.
Through careful, science-based management, black bear populations have continued to increase across the Southeast. Managed by state fish and wildlife agencies, which are primarily funded by hunters through the ASCF, black bear populations continue to provide hunting opportunities across the Southeast, with some states just recently restoring black bear hunting seasons for the first time in decades.
Despite organized opposition from the anti-hunting community, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to re-establish a black bear hunt in the Sunshine State earlier this year. The hunt will be strictly regulated through a lottery system. To participate in Florida’s highly anticipated black bear hunt, hunters can enter the lottery with hopes of drawing 1 of 187 total tags. In addition to the funding generated through the purchase of bear tags itself, lottery participants generate thousands of dollars of funding through the purchase of lottery entries.
Being a year ahead of Florida in re-establishing the black bear hunt, Louisiana experienced its first black bear season in decades last year. 10 of the 11 tags allotted were filled with a 100% opportunity rate. Following this success, the number of tags available to hunters in 2025 more than doubled.
Kentucky, a state less known for black bears and more for excellent white-tailed deer opportunities, has seen expanded bear hunting opportunities and streamlined regulations over the past decade. After re-establishing the bear hunt in 2009, bear hunting was originally administered via a quota, but as of 2022, the Commonwealth regulates the season based on the number of days open to hunting. This move to a simplified model is indicative of a healthy and growing black bear population that presents hunters with ample hunting opportunity across nearly the entire eastern half of the state.
North Carolina, a state known around the country as a top bear destination, harvests thousands of bears annually across the state. Again, thanks to careful, highly regulated, science-based management, bear populations are healthy in the Old North State as indicated by an overall increase in harvest numbers over recent decades. For example, in 1976, bear hunters in North Carolina harvested a total of 121 bears across all units. In 2023, that number soared to 4,581 bears.
The above-mentioned states are just an example of a few Southeastern states that have experienced recent and continued success in allowing black bear hunting for their sportsmen and women. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encourages states to, when supported by science, pursue opportunities to expand black bear hunting and follow the lead of surrounding states in generating additional conservation funding and providing opportunities for sportsmen and women to pursue one of the most storied animals in North America.
