2026 bear season wraps up
MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released its preliminary results for the 2026 bear season. This fall, bear hunters harvested 4,275 bears during the 35-day season, slightly above the overall harvest target of 4,160 bears. The 2026 bear season ran from Sept. 15 to Oct. 13. A total of 15,245 bear hunting licenses were awarded to hunters through the license lottery system. "The big story across the northern part of the state was the ongoing drought conditions, particularly in northwest Wisconsin, and how the dry conditions might affect bear activity," said Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist. "A different story emerged in southern parts of Wisconsin, with reports suggesting abundant acorns in many areas, along with agricultural crops, which often draw the attention of bears away from hunter baits in these areas. These patterns played out with bear harvest being above expectations in the northwest part of the state while at or near expectations across the rest of the state." Price County is in Zone A of the state’s bear hunting zones. Hunter success rates were above average in Zones A and D this year, appearing most pronounced in counties like Barron, Burnett, Polk and Washburn, which all
