Spring Black Bear hunting info
by Wyoming Game & Fish
March 6, 2012
Black bear hunters looking to use baits for the upcoming spring bear hunting seasons are advised that the period to renew a bear bait from the previous year runs from March 1 to March 20. This applies only to those hunters who had bait sites registered in the previous calendar year and wish to renew the same site.
Following the preference period, registration of unclaimed bait sites will be accepted in person at any Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional office beginning at 8 a.m. April 2 on a first-come, first-served basis.
There will be no black bear bait site registrations during the period of March 21–March 31. Hunters can renew their bait sites from last year by contacting their local Game and Fish regional offices by telephone, mail, fax, in person, or by a representative. All registered bait sites are for the year and cannot be changed until the following year.
Hunters are reminded that they must have a valid black bear hunting license prior to registering a bait site. No bear bait may be placed on state, federal, or Game and Fish lands without first registering the bait site with the Game and Fish. Each bear hunter is allowed two bait sites, however, hunters may only have one bait per section, as illustrated on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management maps.
In addition, bear baits cannot be placed more than seven days prior to opening day and must be removed seven days after the last date of the hunting season.
Wyoming manages black bears using a female mortality quota system. Each black bear hunt area has a female mortality quota that, when reached, closes the season for that area immediately. Therefore, hunters are required to regularly check the black bear hotline at (800) 264-1280 to make sure their hunt area hasn’t closed.
When a black bear is harvested, hunters are required to retain the skull and pelt, with visible external evidence of sex, and present it to department personnel at the nearest Game and Fish office within three days (72 hours). Black bear hunters are encouraged to brush up on their bear identification skills by taking a voluntary online bear identification test found on the Game and Fish website at: http://gf.state.wy.us/BearExam/index.asp. Hunters may pick up bear hunting regulations at any license agent to review additional details about black bear baiting and hunting. Hunters with questions can contact any Game and Fish regional office.
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