Massachusetts Black bear harvest data

the number of bears harvested in Massachusetts over the past nearly 2 decades.

Massachusetts 2018 Preliminary black bear harvest report from the mass gov its safe to say are state don’t hold many bear hunters or maybe its are bear regulations making it nearly impossible to harvest mass gov bear stats:

During the three hunting seasons in 2018, a total of 201 bears were harvested. This represents a drop from the 270 bears taken in 2017 and record of 283 bears taken in 2016. A breakdown by season is as follows:

• First season (Sept. 4 – Sept. 22): 150
• Second season (Nov. 5 – Nov. 24): 26
• Shotgun season (Nov. 26 – Dec. 8): 25

 The September and November seasons were virtually identical in 2017 (151 and 26) and 2018. The big decrease in harvest in 2018 was during the Shotgun season. Bears were active very late in 2017, resulting in a high Shotgun season harvest, 91 bears taken. The lack of hard mast in 2018 saw bears enter their dens early which resulted in a corresponding reduction in the Shotgun season harvest, with only 25 bear taken.

Massachusetts black bear harvest by county

Author: michael mcstay

Michael McStay serves as the Senior Editor and CEO of NockedUp, a platform dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts in Massachusetts. An avid fisherman, hunter, and hiker, he has a deep passion for the outdoors and values the importance of sharing knowledge and information related to Massachusetts' natural environment. If you have any thrilling outdoor news to share, or if you would like to provide feedback or suggest story ideas, we encourage you to contact us via text at 339-309-8721 (Join NockedUp Massachusetts Outdoors—it's free and simple! Stay in the loop and never miss another post or update).