An Overview of the Maryland
Black Bear Hunting Seasons: 2004-2007

On October 25^th 2004, Maryland DNR conducted Maryland’s first black bear hunting season in 51 years.  After decades of research and population monitoring, the decision was made to once again hunt black bears in western Maryland.  The goal of the hunt was to begin stabilizing the growth of western Maryland’s growing black bear population. 

The results of the 2004 opening day were nothing less than astonishing.  Twenty black bears were checked in on the opening day of the hunting season. 

In October 2005, DNR conducted the second black bear hunt in recent times, continuing to slow the growth of the bear population.  In 2005, it took hunters 4 days to harvest 40 bears.  This was achieved despite an early-season snowstorm and long-term power outages across most of the hunt area. 

In 2006, hunters harvested 41 bears in 2 days. 

Hunters realized a harvest of 51 bears in 4 days in 2007. 

Hunter success rates have consistently been higher than the regional average of 3% to 5%.  In 2004, hunters achieved a 5.5% success rate in 1 day of hunting.  An 11% success rate was achieved in 4 days in 2005 and again in 2007.  In 2006, a 9% hunter success rate was achieved in 2 days of hunting.

 

	2004	2005	2006	2007
No. of Permittees (No. of Applications Received)	200 (2,272)	200 (2,192)	220 (2,402)	220 (2,804)
Harvest Quota	30	40 to 55	35 to 55	50 to 70
No. of Bears Harvested	20	40	41	51
Garrett Co. Harvest	19	36	39	43
Allegany Co. Harvest	1	4	2	8
Percent of bears Harvested on Private Land	80%	95%	78%	74%
Hunter Success Rate	5.5%	11%	9%	11%

Table 1.  Bear hunt statistics (2004 – 2007).

 

Fig. 1.  Distribution of harvested bears in Maryland (2004-2007)