News  Public hearing on proposed bear regulations set for January 27

Public hearings have been scheduled to gather public feedback about proposed regulatory changes related to bear hunting seasons in Massachusetts. Scroll down for a summary of proposed changes along with information about how to attend a hearing or submit a comment.

Public hearings

January 27 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Zoom: The public can learn more about the proposed bear regulations and provide comments at the public hearings. Click this link to join either session on Zoom from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device; use Passcode: 798798, or join by phone: (929) 205-6099 with Webinar ID: 897 1928 3589 and Passcode: 798798. 

Written comments can be submitted using this feedback form, or by mail to: MassWildlife Re: Bear Public Hearing, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. All comments must be received by 4 p.m. on February 10, 2025.

A brief summary of the proposed regulations is outlined below.

Proposed black bear hunting season changes

Background: There are currently over 4,500 black bears living in Massachusetts. The bear population is increasing and the range is expanding eastward into more highly-developed areas. As a result, human-bear conflict—including more bears in highly-developed neighborhoods, vehicle collisions, agricultural damage, and livestock predation—has increased. Expanding hunting opportunities during the time of year when bears are more active aims to increase bear harvest, stabilize the population, and reduce human-bear conflict.

Currently, youth hunters ages 12–14 can harvest a bear during the regular bear hunting seasons utilizing the permit of a licensed adult. MassWildlife is proposing the creation of a free Youth Bear Permit, which would allow youth hunters to harvest their own bear at any point during the bear hunting season without utilizing a licensed adult’s permit. Additionally, minor hunters aged 12–17 who possess a valid Youth Deer Hunt Permit and Bear Permit would be able to hunt bear on the Youth Deer Hunt Day.

Proposed regulation changes:

• Replace the current three bear hunting seasons with one continuous bear hunting season from Labor Day in September through the 2nd Saturday after Thanksgiving.
• Create a free Youth Bear Permit.
   

The public can review the full proposed regulatory language at this link:  DRAFT - DFW Bear Hunting Regulations 321 CMR 3.02(1)

MassWildlife is committed to providing equitable access to information, public processes, resources, and programs to ensure all have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with our work and all voices are heard. Live interpretation will be available in 中文, Kreyòl Ayisyen, Português, Español, and Tiếng Việt. American Sign Language (ASL) and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning will be provided. To request additional accommodations, please contact Susan Sacco at susan.sacco@mass.gov.