Bear season marks the start of fall hunting in Maine
The start of bear season in Maine is an exciting time for hunters because it traditionally is the start of the fall hunting season.
The general black bear hunting season runs through November 26. The season for hunting over bait ends Saturday, Sept. 24 and the season for hunting with dogs ends Oct. 28.
For the first time, hunters are required to extract a tooth from their harvested bear and submit the tooth at the registration station. Each check station will provide hunters with instructions for submitting their bear’s tooth. At the end of the year, MDIF&W will receive these teeth from the check stations and will send a percentage of the teeth to the laboratory for testing.
The ages for bears harvested during the 2011 season will be posted on the Department’s website next fall.
In 2010, nearly 700 bear teeth were voluntarily submitted by hunters. Like most bear populations, older bears make up a smaller proportion of the harvest with one-third of the bears being older than three years old. The majority of bears (78 percent) were between the ages of 1 and 5 years old.
“Knowing the age of the harvested bears provides a valuable tool for monitoring the health of Maine’s black bear population, thus determining the effectiveness of our management programs and contributing to a stable bear population,” said MDIFW bear biologist Jen Vashon.
For more information on bear hunting in Maine, season dates, and other laws and regulations, hunters are encouraged to visit www.mefishwildlife.com.
