Bear hunters: Submit teeth for age study

MassWildlife is requesting a tooth from your harvested bear. Teeth are used to determine the age structure of the MA bear harvest and to model the black bear population. You will receive a letter with the age of your bear and a "2026 MA Bear Hunter" sticker. Scroll down for easy extraction instructions.

To extract and submit a bear tooth, watch this video guide and follow the instructions below. It's important to extract the tooth before the skull is soaked for cleaning or whitening purposes.

The premolar is the small tooth just behind the bear's canine

1. Remove either the left or right premolar, the small tooth just behind the canine (see photo), from the upper or lower jaw. Wearing gloves, use a small sharp knife, a sharp ¼-inch wood chisel, or flathead screwdriver to slide the blade down the side of the tooth and cut or separate the gum tissue where it sticks to the tooth. Using your fingers, wiggle the tooth slightly until you can pull it out of the jawbone and the gum. Do not use pliers or a multi-tool. The root is the most important part; go slow and be careful not to break this very small tooth.
2. If you report your bear harvest online, MassWildlife will mail you a prepaid envelope for tooth submission. If you report your bear at a check station, put the tooth in a small envelope or bag and mark it with your name, mailing address, customer ID number, and confirmation number (or seal number) of your bear. Enclose everything in a mailing envelope and send it to:
   
   Black Bear Aging
   MassWildlife
   1 Rabbit Hill Road
   Westborough, MA 01581

You will receive a letter in late summer with the age of your bear and a "2026 Massachusetts Bear Hunter" sticker.