Idaho Bear Season 2026-27: Fall Activity & Hunt Dates

Q: When does bear season open in Idaho in 2026-27?

Black Bear General Season (fall take season): August 30, 2026 to November 30, 2026, varying by zone across 2 rows in the agency table. Idaho Department of Fish and Game publishes these dates and the full zone tables on this page were read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: Does Idaho have a spring bear season in 2027?

Yes. Black Bear General Season (spring take season): April 1, 2027 to July 31, 2027, as published by Idaho Department of Fish and Game and read on September 19, 2026. The zone rows are on this page exactly as the agency lists them, with the source page linked beside the table.

Q: Who publishes guidance on living with bears in Idaho?

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, on its page titled Living with Black Bears, which is linked from the agency notice on this page. That page is the agency's own guidance for Idaho residents on attractants, encounters and who to call, and its sentence on fall activity is quoted verbatim beside the link, read on September 19, 2026.

Q: Where are the rest of the Idaho bear hunting rules?

At Idaho Department of Fish and Game, whose regulations page is linked on this page. Those rules are legally binding, change annually and vary by zone and land ownership; the permit and tag system, zone maps, methods and reporting requirements are all published there. This page carries the season windows themselves, with the source page and read date attached.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 19, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.

August 30, 2026 to November 30, 2026

Black Bear General Season (fall take season)

published

No season

Archery bear season

no season

April 1, 2027 to July 31, 2027

Black Bear General Season (spring take season)

published

May

Busiest reported month

189 reports on record

Fall activity

When black bears are most active in Idaho

Idaho Fish and Game says black bears are found throughout both the foothills and forests of Idaho, with between 20,000 and 30,000 black bears roaming these wild lands. Grizzly bears historically lived in every part of Idaho and are now only found in the northern part of Idaho and in eastern Idaho near Yellowstone National Park.

The bars count research grade American black bear observations people uploaded to iNaturalist for Idaho, by calendar month, across every year the platform holds. The busiest month in the record is May, and reports drop below 40 percent of that peak by November. The drop into winter reflects bears denning and fewer people outdoors in equal measure, which is why the agency’s sentences below, not the curve, carry the timing.

189 research grade American black bear observations have been uploaded to iNaturalist for Idaho across every year the platform holds, and 32 percent of them fall in the three shaded fall months. The busiest month in the record is May, and reports drop below 40 percent of that peak by November. These are counts of what people reported, so they measure observers as well as bears; they are not a population, not a survey and not a statement about this autumn. See the records on iNaturalist.

Research grade black bear reports uploaded for Idaho by year, 2016 to 2025: 2 in 2016 and 19 in 2025. Most of the climb is the platform itself growing, and every species on it shows the same shape, so this is a record of reporting rather than a population trend.

What Idaho Department of Fish and Game says

Fall feeding

As bears prepare for hibernation, they enter a period of intense feeding known as hyperphagia. During this time, a bear may consume 20,000 calories or more each day as it builds fat reserves for the winter.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

Denning

In Idaho, black bears will enter dens from mid-October through November and emerge in mid-April to May (Beecham and Rohlman 1994).

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

When conflicts and sightings rise

Throughout the state, most conflicts with bears occur from July through September.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

A young black bear resting its chin on a bare dead branch in a green hardwood forest, ears forward, looking at the camera — A young black bear on a dead limb in the hardwoods. In the eastern forests the fall feeding season runs on acorns and beechnuts, which is why the agency sentences quoted on these pages talk about hard mast and mast years. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Black Bear (20083897724)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

Hunting dates

Idaho bear seasons, 2026-27

Idaho Department of Fish and Game dates American black bear and grizzly bear seasons under its own names, and each is below under that name with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them, the source page linked beside each table, and the date it was read.

Black Bear General Season (fall take season)

published

Black Bear General Season (fall take season) is OPEN now in the Units 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 8A, 10A, 11, 11A, 13, 14, 16, 15, 18, 19A, 23, 25, 22, 31, 24, 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A, 32, 32A, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 44, 48, 49, 45, 52, 52A, 53, 50, 51, 58, 59, 59A, 60, 60A, 63, 63A, 61, 62, 62A, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 66A, 76, 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 77, 78, through October 31, 2026, with 2 zone segments open.

Idaho black bear general season (fall take season), as published by Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Units 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 8A, 10A, 11, 11A, 13, 14, 16, 15, 18, 19A, 23, 25, 22, 31, 24, 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A, 32, 32A, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 44, 48, 49, 45, 52, 52A, 53, 50, 51, 58, 59, 59A, 60, 60A, 63, 63A, 61, 62, 62A, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 66A, 76, 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 77, 78	August 30, 2026	October 31, 2026	Units 22, 31 and 32A: IDFG limits the take season to on or within 1 mile of private lands
Units 4, 4A, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20, 20A, 21, 28, 21A, 36B, 26, 27	August 30, 2026	November 30, 2026

Dates read from Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, Black Bear Seasons for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, accessed 2026-09-19.

Idaho sets black bear take seasons by game management unit in the Black Bear Seasons for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 table. Every fall season opens August 30, 2026; most units close October 31 and the units in the second row run to November 30. The rows group the units the table gives identical dates; unit by unit detail, dog training windows and the units where IDFG cautions that grizzly bears may be encountered are in the table on pages 69 to 71.

Archery bear season

no season

Idaho holds no separately dated archery bear season. Idaho dates no separate archery bear season. The 2026 Seasons and Rules table gives each unit a single take season for spring and for fall, and archery hunting for bear happens inside those windows, which is a methods question for Fish and Game rather than a date. Source: Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Black Bear General Season (spring take season)

published

Black Bear General Season (spring take season) opens in 185 days, on April 1, 2027 (Units 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20, 20A, 21, 28, 21A, 36B, 26, 27).

Idaho black bear general season (spring take season), as published by Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Units 1, 2, 3, 5, 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A, 43, 44, 48, 49, 45, 52, 52A, 53	April 15, 2027	June 15, 2027
Units 4, 4A, 6, 14, 16, 15, 19A, 23, 25, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 50, 51, 58, 59, 59A, 60, 60A, 63, 63A, 61, 62, 62A, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 66A, 76, 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 77, 78	April 15, 2027	June 30, 2027
Units 7, 9	April 15, 2027	July 31, 2027
Units 8, 8A, 10A, 11, 11A, 13, 18	April 15, 2027	May 31, 2027
Units 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20, 20A, 21, 28, 21A, 36B, 26, 27	April 1, 2027	June 30, 2027
Units 22, 31, 32, 32A	April 1, 2027	May 22, 2027	Units 22, 31 and 32A: IDFG limits the take season to on or within 1 mile of private lands
Unit 24 (segment 1)	April 15, 2027	June 7, 2027	The June 8 to 30 segment applies to a portion of Unit 24 only, described in Note 1 on page 71
Unit 24 (segment 2)	June 8, 2027	June 30, 2027

Dates read from Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, Black Bear Seasons for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, accessed 2026-09-19.

The 2026 Seasons and Rules booklet publishes spring 2027 dates alongside fall 2026 in one table, so Idaho's spring 2027 season is already set: openers of April 1 or April 15, 2027 with closings from May 22 to July 31 depending on the unit group. Unit 24 has a second June segment in a described portion of the unit.

Other Idaho bear seasons the agency names

2026 Fall Black Bear Controlled Hunts

published

2026 Fall Black Bear Controlled Hunts is OPEN now in the Hunt 8501, Controlled Hunt Area 1-1b, through October 9, 2026, with 4 zone segments open.

Idaho 2026 fall black bear controlled hunts, as published by Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Zone	Opens	Closes
Hunt 8501, Controlled Hunt Area 1-1b	September 15, 2026	October 9, 2026
Hunt 8502, Controlled Hunt Area 22-1a	September 1, 2026	October 31, 2026
Hunt 8503, Unit 32A	September 1, 2026	October 31, 2026
Hunt 8504, Controlled Hunt Area 22-1a (Youth only)	September 1, 2026	October 31, 2026

Dates read from Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, Black Bear Seasons for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, accessed 2026-09-19.

Fall controlled bear hunts drawn from the May 1 to June 5, 2026 application period, including one youth only hunt, as printed on page 72 of the 2026 Seasons and Rules.

2027 Spring Black Bear Controlled Hunts

published

2027 Spring Black Bear Controlled Hunts opens in 185 days, on April 1, 2027 (Hunt 8001, Controlled Hunt Area 22-1a).

Idaho 2027 spring black bear controlled hunts, as published by Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Hunt 8001, Controlled Hunt Area 22-1a	April 1, 2027	May 22, 2027
Hunt 8002, Unit 32A	April 1, 2027	May 22, 2027

Dates read from Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, Black Bear Seasons for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, accessed 2026-09-19.

Spring 2027 controlled bear hunts, with an application period of January 15 to February 15, 2027, as printed on page 72 of the 2026 Seasons and Rules.

The agency's own season sentence

Black Bear Seasons: August 2026 - July 2027

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

Current Idaho regulations

Permit and tag requirements, zone maps, permitted methods, tagging and reporting, and everything else a bear hunter is bound by for Idaho are set by Idaho Department of Fish and Game, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game: current regulations

A black bear track pressed into wet grey mud, five rounded toes in an arc above a broad pad, with a second fainter print beside it — A black bear track in mud in Shenandoah National Park. Tracks, scat, turned over logs and claw marks on smooth beech bark are the sign most people meet in the fall woods, weeks before they meet the bear. Photo: M. Punches, NPS. “Black Bear Track in Mud (44654784885)”, ShenandoahNPS, Public domain

Bear season in other states

Idaho deer seasonArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer windows for 2026-27, under the same sourcing rules.Idaho small game seasonPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel openers, read from the same agency.Idaho foraging calendarThe acorns, beechnuts and berries the agency names as fall bear food are the same mast a forager follows.

An adult black bear standing on a broken limb high in a hardwood tree above two small cubs, all three looking down — A mother black bear and two cubs of the year in a hardwood tree. The denning sentences quoted on the state pages describe when family groups like this one go to ground, and it moves by weeks between a Gulf Coast winter and a northern one. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Black Bear Family (20083894064)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

Idaho bear season questions

When are black bears most active in Idaho in the fall?

In the observation record for Idaho, research grade black bear reports peak in May and 32 percent of all 189 reports fall in September, October and November. Idaho Department of Fish and Game describes the fall feeding period in its own words, quoted on this page with a link to the page it came from. Reports count people as well as bears, so the shape of the curve is the useful part and the exact numbers are not.

When does bear season open in Idaho in 2026-27?

Does Idaho have a spring bear season in 2027?

When do black bears go into dens in Idaho?

Idaho Department of Fish and Game describes the denning timing for Idaho in the sentence quoted on this page, read on September 19, 2026 from the page linked beside it. In the observation record, reports fall below 40 percent of the May peak by November and reach their low in March. That drop reflects bears denning and fewer people outdoors in equal measure, which is why the agency's sentence, not the curve, is the denning answer.

Are black bear sightings in Idaho increasing?

The number of research grade black bear reports uploaded for Idaho went from 2 in 2016 to 19 in 2025. Most of that rise is the platform itself growing, since every species on iNaturalist shows the same climb, so the year bars on this page are a record of reporting rather than a population trend. Idaho Department of Fish and Game describes when sightings and conflicts rise in Idaho in the sentence quoted on this page.

Who publishes guidance on living with bears in Idaho?

Where are the rest of the Idaho bear hunting rules?

A brown wooden Bear Country sign with a white bear pictogram and a red band, on two posts at the edge of a lodgepole pine campground in low sun — A Bear Country sign at Indian Creek Campground, Yellowstone. The land manager writes the rules on the board, and they change by campground and by season: food storage orders, closed drainages, and whether a soft sided tent is allowed at all. “Bear Country Sign for Indian Creek (14457698423)”, Yellowstone National Park from Yellowstone NP, USA, Public domain

A snow covered track running between pines bent low under heavy snow, with a strip of blue sky above — Midwinter at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Maine. This is denning season in the north; each agency's own sentence on when its bears enter and leave their dens is quoted on the state pages, and the month bars show the reports thinning to match. “Winter at Moosehorn (11714166893)”, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region, Public domain

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with agency data read on September 19, 2026 and an iNaturalist record to September 19, 2026. Every sentence about bear behaviour is Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s own, quoted exactly with a link to its page; every season window is republished from the agency page linked beside it, and windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. The month bars count what members of the public reported and are not a population. See also the national bear season guide.