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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: *Oct. 29, 2025
*Contact: *Randy Johnson, DNR Large Carnivore Specialist
[email protected] or 715-499-0010

 

DNR Publishes Preliminary 2025 Bear Season Results

 

A black bear walks though a forest. The forest floor is covered by yellow and brown fallen leaves.

Preliminary results show that hunters have harvested 3,724 bears in Wisconsin this hunting season. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

*"Editor's Note: The previous version of this release had a formatting issue that duplicated information related to license sales and preference points. That has been corrected below."*

*
MADISON, Wis.* – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced preliminary results for the 2025 bear season. This fall, bear hunters harvested 3,724 bears during the 35-day season, placing this season on par with the five-year average of about 3,800 bears annually.

This year's harvest was slightly below the overall harvest target of 4,075 bears, but within the expected range of harvest for this fall.

"Reports from the field seemed variable this year," said Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist. "Some hunters reported this was one of the best years of bear hunting they've experienced, while others were challenged by abundant acorns and corn, reducing the effectiveness of their baits. Bear hunters across the state also faced below-average temperatures in the beginning part of the season, followed by above-average temperatures towards the end of the season, each of which can affect bear activity. Overall, hunter success rates ended up slightly below average, translating to overall bear harvest right about where we anticipated."

The 2025 bear season ran from Sept. 3 to Oct. 7. A total of 13,110 bear hunting licenses were awarded to hunters through the license lottery system.

Statewide, hunter success was about 28%, slightly below the five-year average hunter success rate of 32%. Hunter success rates in individual zones varied from as high as 69% in Zone A to less than 10% in Zones E and F.

"Each year, we evaluate the outcome of the harvest season as well as several other important metrics such as agricultural damages due to bears and residential bear complaints. We use this information to adjust license and harvest levels as needed in different regions of the state to affect the bear population and data trends. This adaptive management strategy is what allows us to strive towards sustainable bear population levels, compatible with the habitat and public preferences," said Johnson.

Zone-specific preliminary registration information is as follows:

Zone



Harvest Target



Preliminary Harvest*



Licenses Issued



Hunter Success Rate



A



1,075



1,161



1,680



69%



B



900



841



1,610



52%



C



750



661



3,750



18%



D



1,100



906



3,570



25%



E



200



128



2,000



6%



F



50



27



500



5%



Statewide Total



4,075



3,724



13,110



28%



*These preliminary data do not include bears taken via agriculture damage tags (51 bears), the Learn to Hunt program (34 bears) or tribal harvest (n/a).



*Benefits Of Bear Hunting*

Wisconsin has a thriving bear population, estimated at around 23,000 bears, with a range covering more than half the state.

While bears have tremendous cultural and ecological value, they can also conflict with human interests, damaging agricultural crops or raiding residential trash and bird feeders. While most conflicts are addressed through education and other non-lethal means, hunting also plays an important role in balancing bear populations.

"Aside from being a management tool that ultimately supports healthy bear populations, bear hunting also provides wonderful opportunities to experience the outdoors with the company of family and friends. Harvested bears provide both a source of sustainable protein and memories that can last a lifetime," said Johnson.

Hunters provide critical data from every harvested bear, which is the backbone of population monitoring efforts and ensures a healthy and sustainable bear population into the future. Bear hunter license fees also supply key funding for bear management, research and outreach activities.

*Reminders For Next Year*

Hunters wishing to obtain a license or preference point for the 2026 season must apply in Go Wild [ [link removed] ] or at an authorized license agent [ [link removed] ] before the Dec. 10 deadline. State law requires bear permit applicants to apply at least once during any period of three consecutive years to retain their accumulated preference points; otherwise, all accumulated preference points will be lost.

Over 146,000 people applied for a bear hunting license or preference point for the 2025 season, again setting an all-time high record number of applicants. To help hunters make hunting plans, a full breakdown of the 2025 bear license drawing results and license wait times is available online [ [link removed] ].

Visit the DNR's Bear Hunting webpage [ [link removed] ] to learn more about black bear hunting, ecology and management in Wisconsin.







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