News & notices
Lottery now open
Lottery applications for this fall's bear season are being accepted through Friday, May 1. Review our how to apply page and apply online, in person or by telephone.
Regulations for reference
Updates to bear regulations for 2026 will be available in June. DNR provides the 2025 regulations for use as a reference tool only.
See a bear, report a bear
The black bear range has been slowly expanding southward and westward. If you see a bear outside of the its normal range, report it to the DNR.
2026 season
| Lottery application deadline | May 1 |
| Winner notification | Early June |
| Licenses available for purchase | TBD |
| License purchase deadline | Aug. 1 |
| Licenses offered | Listing by permit area |
| Unsold licenses offered | Aug. 5 at noon |
| Baiting begins | Aug. 14 |
| Hunting | Sept. 1 - Oct. 18 |
Licenses
| Resident, age 18 and older: $45 (includes fee) |
| Non-resident, age 18 and older: $231 (includes fee) |
| Ages 13-17, regardless of residency: $6 (includes fee) |
| Ages 10-12, regardless of residency: $1 issuing fee |
| Find licenses |
Limits & requirements
| Quota areas | One adult bear per licensed hunter |
| No-quota area | One adult bear per licensed hunter |
| All areas | Successful hunters must submit a tooth sample |
| Don't shoot collared bears |
Methods
| Firearm legal for big game |
| Bow and arrow legal for big game |
Permit areas
Carefully review all BPA changes in the maps before applying:
- BPA 451, which was in place for the 2020–2024 season, has been removed and now is part of the No-Quota Area.
- Part of BPA 12 along the west side of Red Lake Reservation is now part of the No-Quota Area.
- Part of BPA 46 on the west side of White Earth Reservation is now part of the No-Quota Area.
- The Trout Lake Unit of the BWCAW is now included in BPA 22.
Tagging & registration
Any tagging and registration requirements for 2026 will be announced in June.
Bait stations
A person may not place bait for bears unless the person has a current year bear license or is operating under the direction of a person with a current year bear license. Registration of all bait stations is required. See complete rules in the bait stations section of the bear hunting regulations.
- Not yet available for 2026
- Not yet available for 2026
Guides & outfitters
DNR provides names and contact information for current year licensed bear outfitters when all registrations are complete. This is not an endorsement of any individual on the list. We do not provide referrals or other types of information, and licensure by the state does not mean that the outfitter has been certified as to competence, quality of hunt, success, etc.
Resources
- Hunt regulations (2025 update)
- Don't shoot collared and ear-tagged bears
- Tooth samples
- Be BearWise while hunting
- Hunting in the BWCAW
- Handling meat and trophy
- State forest OHV use & bear hunting
- Hunting licenses - find license agents or purchase licenses by phone or the internet
- Sunrise and sunset data
Learn to hunt
Do you value strong connections to your outdoors and the food you eat? Are you looking for a new way to interact with the fields, woods, and waters around you?
Then discover September forests with help from our getting started guide to bear hunting.
Management
Hunting is only one aspect of the DNR's effort to manage bear for the public trust. We are committed to socially and ecologically responsive and responsible bear management for the benefit of all Minnesotans now and into the future.
- Visit our bear management page to learn about the many things we do to manage this large and reclusive mammal
- Access reports and surveys in the bear hunting archive