To hunt black bears in Wisconsin, you must have a Class A bear license. You can get a Class A bear license by: Wisconsin is a great place to hunt bears. If there is something at the bottom, it is not easy to get a Class A bear licence. In 1986, when MNR first switched to the current quota or preferential point approval system, 840 licences were issued out of 8,289 applicants. Two decades later, 4,277 permits have been issued to 68,821 applicants. Since then, the number of bears has increased and the number of bears has increased the number of permits issued and the number of applicants almost every year. In 2013, 106,573 hunters applied for 8,560 licences and in 2014, 108,271,10,340 licences. Hunters who are not successfully bred will receive one preference point for each year they apply. The number of points required to draw a licence depends on several variables, including the number of licences available, the number of applicants and the bearish zone.

According to the 2014 NRDs, at least five points were required to obtain a licence in BMZ A, nine in BMZ B, one in BMZ C and six in BMZ D. In other words, one to nine years to draw a license, depending on the area. Like it or not, it takes patience and a multi-year investment to get a Wisconsin bear license, especially in the most productive bear areas, but few will agree that the current system works, making the state`s bear population one of the largest and best managed in the United States. The number of preference points, The requirement to be a draw winner depends on several variables, including the number of grow permits for the upcoming season, the number of applicants, and the bear management area in which you plan to hunt. Latest Draw Results – Number of winners of the Preference Points Draw in each zone [PDF], awarded through a system of preference points. The apps will be available starting March from license providers nationwide, from the DNR Service Center, online or by calling 1 (877) 945-4236. The registration deadline is 10 December. The cost of the application is $3 for residents and non-residents, $1 more for the online application. If successful, a Class A bear licence is required to shoot and tag a $49 resident bear and a $251 non-resident bear. There are three ways for hunters to determine how many preference points they have earned. You must apply for a bear permit or preference point at least every three years to avoid losing your accumulated preference points. To know how many points you scored, there`s not much written in the national press about bear hunting in “America`s Dairyland,” which is pretty surprising considering what Wisconsin has to offer.

Note the following. Bear hunting in Wisconsin is very popular and more people apply than the number of permits available each year. Under state law, Class A licenses, also known as cultivation permits or destruction labels, are issued through a “preference points lottery system.” To be eligible to purchase a Class A licence, you must be a draw winner. You can apply once a year and earn one preference point or ask to be included in the draw. If you are not a draw winner, one preference point will be added to your total. September 16 – October 6: All legal methods are allowed. (bait, dogs, weapons) According to the Department of Natural Resources, several bears are killed each year in the 400-pound or even 500-pound category, and some tipped the scales only in the 600- to 700-pound range in 2010 and 2011. The state is also a leader of Boone & Crockett as well as the accountants of Pope and Young records. Since 1965, the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club (WB & BC) has kept records of the largest bears caught and currently has several thousand. The club`s minimum is 18 in the disabled archery category and 19 in the firearms and non-hunting category. According to the club, the Bruin State record was measured with a 22-11/16 arc in 2003, although two were taken in 2011, measuring 21-15/16. In the weapons category, the largest measured 23-3/16.

The largest bear skull to date measures 23-5/16, a Monroe County pickup truck in 2010, making it the third largest in the world. Not all bears in Wisconsin reach such a huge size, neither in body weight nor in skull size. The DNR says the average is around 200 pounds, but examples in the 300-pound class, even the 400-pound lower class, are not uncommon and Wisconsin has long been considered one of the top bear hunting destinations and that reputation continues to grow. Black bears are perhaps the only most iconic wildlife species in northern Wisconsin`s forests, and they have distinct cultural, social and economic value. Seeing a black bear in the wild is an exciting experience for many and just as exciting for those who appreciate the black bear as a species of big game. Wisconsin`s black bear population is thriving and expanding its occupied range in the state. In 2021, there were 11,530 fishing licences and hunters responded by hunting 3,847 bears. Hunters also play a crucial role in bear management by providing biological data on captured bears, which is crucial for population assessment and bear population health. For the 2022 bear draw, individual winners will be selected based on their preference points. All unsuccessful candidates will retain their preference points after the draw. Some hunters may not want to hunt the next bear season, but still want to earn a point of preference.

The bear application allows the applicant to indicate that they only want one preference point that does not include them in the draw. Once a candidate wins the draw, they are eligible to purchase a Class A licence and their total preference points will be reset to zero. Their preference point total will be reset to zero, even if for some reason they can`t or won`t hunt bears this year. The 2019-2029 Wisconsin Black Bear Management Plan was developed by MNR`s Bear Advisory Committee and approved by the Natural Resources Council in May 2019. As part of the plan, new bear management areas came into effect in 2021. for a bear permit or buy a preference point on Go Wild. The state also produces its fair share of bears every year. With the exception of 2013, when hunters killed 3,952 bears, the annual count since 2009 is more than 4,000 bears per year. Although it is less than 4,000, the 2013 total is still the fifth highest on record. Few states, especially east of the Mississippi River, produced so much each year during the period.

The highest total was 5,133 in 2010. BMZ C-3. September – October 7 with bait and all legal methods that do not use dogs. As the state`s bear numbers have increased, so has its reach. The traditional and primary area of Wisconsin bears is the northern third of the state. It still is and bears are considered abundant in these counties, but bears are now considered common for casual residents in the central and southwestern regions. Wisconsin is now divided into four bear management zones, from A to D, with Area C essentially extending from Route 64 and Route 8, which cross the state from east to west to the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Bear hunting is allowed throughout the country, although hunting methods, including the use of bait and dogs, vary by area and season.

Do you have problems with a black bear on your property or in your neighbourhood? Call our partners at USDA Wildlife Services. They check voicemails daily and help Wisconsiners solve bear problems across the state. Hunters should check the new bear management area map before applying for a harvest permit, as their hunting grounds may be in a new unit. Historically, Native Wisconsin treated bears with great respect and honored them as supernatural beings. When the settlers arrived, the bears were severely killed for their fur and considered parasites. Combined with land clearing and deforestation, all of this has led to a significant decline in Wisconsin`s black bear population. The bear draw takes place from early to mid-February. Shortly after the draw, the ministry will send a postcard informing the winners of the draw that they are eligible to purchase a Class A bear licence.