Hunting

Black Bear Hunting in Arizona

Know before you go!

Black Bear Season Status and Harvest Reporting

Check to make sure the hunt area is open. Once you harvest a black bear, you will need to report your harvest and then schedule a time to check it in. Whether you initially report your black bear harvest online, or by phone. You will be contacted at the phone number you provide to schedule the physical inspection of your black bear. Make sure the jaw is propped open so the premolar tooth behind the upper canine can be removed. If the skull and hide are frozen, they should be defrosted prior to presenting for inspection as a premolar tooth will be removed from the bear. If the skull and hide are frozen, we will not be able to complete the check-out and you will be asked to reschedule.

Black Bear Sex Identification

Take the time to determine the sex of the black bear before harvesting it. Sex identification helps:

• Reduce unwanted female black bear mortality
• Reduce black bear cub mortality associated with orphaning
• Increase hunter satisfaction
• Meet management objectives

Assess the body of the bear. If the body is large and round, it probably is a male. Black bear females are usually smaller and leaner than males. Adult female black bears (sows) in Arizona typically weigh up to 250 pounds while adult male black bears (boars) weigh up to 350 pounds. Standing on its hind feet, a male black bear can reach 7 feet tall. Males have large, boxier heads and larger shoulders.

Bear tracks may also give an idea of the size of a bear, and therefore, sex of the bear. Unfortunately, due to overlap in sizes between young males and adult females, sex and age can be difficult to determine from tracks alone, but some general observations can be made. Both the length and width of adult male front feet typically measure 4 – 5 ½+ inches and females usually measure 3 ⅜ – 4 ¼ inches. Length and width of adult male hind feet typically measure 7 ⅜ – 9+ inches and 4 ⅛ – 5+ inches, respectively. Length and width of adult female hind feet usually measure 6 ⅛ – 7 ½ inches and 3 ⅜ – 4 inches, respectively. Their front feet are about as long as they are wide, but the hind feet are long and narrow and resemble a human foot. The presence of cubs or cub tracks would indicate that the adult bear is female.

Mating season is late spring – early summer and 1-2 cubs are born during December – January. Cubs are born weighing about ½ pound and almost naked. Cubs stay with their mother for about 2 years.

Look at the face and head of the bear. If the ears seem to be large in proportion to the head, and the face seems narrow instead of round, it is likely a female. A male usually has a wider and rounder head, making its ears appear smaller in proportion to its head.

Observe the bear when it urinates. If the urine appears to come from underneath the bear’s belly, it is most likely a male. If the bear squats and/or the urine appears to come from its back end, it’s probably a female. A boar’s testicles may be visible if you have the right viewing angle, especially in spring. But in autumn when a bear’s winter coat is more lush and thick, it’s tougher to see genitalia.

The following link from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department offers good information on identifying the sex of bears in the field.

Black Bear Sex Identification

Black Bear Regulations

Hunting regulations – important information on rules, regulations, and season dates for hunting black bears in Arizona

Tag Required: To hunt black bear in Arizona, you need a valid hunting license and a black bear tag. For most black bear hunts, a nonpermit-tag can be obtained from a license dealer. See the hunting regulations for more information regarding specific hunts, open units, and season dates. Click here to purchase your AZ hunting license online.

Bag Limit: One black bear per calendar year.

Legal Black Bear: Any bear except cubs or sows with cubs.

Harvest Limits: When the number of female bears (sows) equaling the female harvest limit for a particular hunt has been reported, the unit will be closed at sundown the Wednesday immediately following.  When the annual female harvest limit for a unit has been reported, the unit will close at sundown the following Wednesday and will be closed for the remainder of the year.

Before each hunting trip, make sure you verify that the unit is still open. View black bear female harvest limit information and unit status or call toll-free 800 970-2327.

Mandatory Reporting: Report your black bear harvest information to the Arizona Game and Fish Department within 48 hours of taking the black bear either by telephone at 800-970-BEAR (2327), or report online here

You will need to report the following information: hunter’s name, hunting license number, tag number, sex of the black bear taken, game management unit where the black bear was taken, and telephone number at which the hunter can be reached to obtain additional information.

Mandatory Physical Inspection: Present the black bear’s skull and hide with attached proof of sex to a designated Arizona Game and Fish Department employee for inspection within 10 days of taking the black bear. An appointment is required.

Preparing for the Physical Inspection

– An appointment is required.

– Prop jaw open so that the tooth behind the upper canine can be pulled and aged.

– The skull and hide should be defrosted prior to presenting for inspection as a premolar tooth will be removed. If the skull and hide are frozen, we will not be able to complete the check-in and you will be asked to reschedule.

– Ensure that the attached proof of sex is accessible and identifiable and the entire hide is accessible to collect additional biological data and measurements.

Age Results
View Age Results of Harvested Black Bears

Learn more about black bears

Black bear species information
Living with Black Bears