Black bear hunting in Massachusetts is legal and runs from September 7 through December 12, 2026, split across three segments covering every Wildlife Management Zone in the state. You need a hunting license and a separate bear permit, and you can take one bear per calendar year. Baiting and the use of dogs are both prohibited, which sets Massachusetts apart from many other bear states.
2026 Season Dates
The season has three segments, with different weapons allowed in each:1Mass.gov. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife – Black Bear Hunting Regulations
- First segment: September 7 – October 3
- Second segment: October 5 – November 28
- Shotgun segment: November 30 – December 12
Sunday hunting is prohibited throughout. Legal hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Bear season is open statewide, so there is no zone restriction on where you can hunt.
Licenses and Permits
Every bear hunter needs two credentials: a base hunting license and a bear permit. For 2026, a resident hunting or sporting license costs $40, and a non-resident big game license is $112.2Mass.gov. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife – License Types and Fees The bear permit itself is $10 for residents and $30 for non-residents.3Mass.gov. MassWildlife Fee Schedule 2022-2026 A $5 Wildlands Conservation Stamp is added to the first resident license each year and to every non-resident license. Both the license and the permit are sold through the MassFishHunt online system or through authorized vendors.
If you’re 18 or older and have never held a hunting or sporting license, you must complete a Basic Hunter Education course before you can buy one.4Mass.gov. Who Needs Basic Hunter Education? The bag limit is one black bear per calendar year; once you’ve taken one, your season is over regardless of segments remaining.5Legal Information Institute. 321 CMR 3.02(1) – Hunting of Bear
What You Can Hunt With, and When
Legal weapons shift between segments, and the shotgun segment is the most restrictive. Rifles and revolvers are prohibited after the second segment ends, even though they were legal days earlier.1Mass.gov. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife – Black Bear Hunting Regulations
- Rifles: first and second segments only. Must be .23 caliber or larger.
- Revolvers: first segment only. Must be a .357 Magnum loaded exclusively with .357 Magnum cartridges, or .40 caliber or larger.
- Muzzleloaders: all three segments. Must be.44 to.775 caliber, fired from the shoulder with a single projectile.5Legal Information Institute. 321 CMR 3.02(1) – Hunting of Bear
- Shotguns: third segment only. No larger than 10 gauge, slugs only, buckshot prohibited.
- Archery: all three segments. Draw weight of at least 40 pounds at 28 inches or at peak draw. Arrows must have sharpened steel broadhead blades at least 7/8 inch wide. Expanding broadheads and hand-held releases are legal.
Crossbows are not available to the general hunting population and require a disability-based permit.6Mass.gov. Apply for a Crossbow Permit
Baiting and Dogs Are Prohibited
Using dogs to hunt bear is illegal in Massachusetts. Baiting is also illegal, and the state defines bait broadly to include lures, scents, and cover scents.1Mass.gov. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife – Black Bear Hunting Regulations Tactics standard in other bear states will produce a violation here.
Where You Can Shoot and What to Wear
You cannot discharge a firearm or release an arrow within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling without the property owner’s permission, and you must stay at least 150 feet from any road.7Mass.gov. Updating Hunting Laws Bear often use areas with scattered homes, so these setbacks matter in the field.
During the shotgun segment, which overlaps with shotgun deer season, all hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of blaze orange on the chest, back, and head.8Mass.gov. All Outdoor Users: Wear Blaze Orange During Hunting Seasons Blaze orange is not required in the first two segments for bear hunters alone, but it’s a sensible precaution.
Tagging and Reporting Your Bear
Fill out the harvest tag from your bear permit and attach it to the carcass before moving the animal at all.9Mass.gov. Report Your Black Bear Harvest Field dressing is allowed, but the carcass must remain intact with the tag attached until it’s reported, and some portion must remain visible during transport.1Mass.gov. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife – Black Bear Hunting Regulations
You have 48 hours to report the harvest, either online through MassFishHunt or at an official check station.9Mass.gov. Report Your Black Bear Harvest Online reporting generates a confirmation number that must be written on the harvest tag. A check station agent will attach a metal seal to the carcass. MassWildlife also asks hunters to submit a tooth from each harvested bear for the age data that drives population modeling.
Youth Hunters
No one under 12 may hunt in Massachusetts. Ages 12 through 14 may hunt bear only when accompanied by a licensed adult of 18 or older, sharing a single firearm or bow and a single bag limit.10Mass.gov. Hunting Information for Minors Hunters 15 through 17 who have completed Basic Hunter Education may hunt without adult supervision and must carry the certificate in the field; those without it still need an accompanying adult.
Penalties
Hunting bear without the required permit, out of season, or in violation of Chapter 131 carries fines of $200 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail. A conviction voids every hunting license and permit you hold, with no refund.11General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2022 Chapter 145 License revocation runs one to three years for a first offense, three to ten for a second, and at least ten years for a third or subsequent offense. Because Massachusetts belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a revocation here can follow you into other member states.