Kentucky Bear Season Runs Sept. 19 to Dec. 16, 2026: Dates, Zones and Permits
November 6, 2026
Bear hunting season in Kentucky 2026 starts Sept. 19 and ends Dec. 16, and you can buy your permit over the counter. According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (Aug. 24, 2026), permits cover 47 counties and several seasons: archery, crossbow, firearms and hunting with dogs.
No draw, no quota and no lottery sit between you and a tag. The odds are the hard part, since the same release says more than 200 bears were taken in each of the past two seasons, with about 10 percent of hunters successful.
This guide gives you the 2026-27 dates, zone rules, permits, legal methods and check-in steps in the order you will need them. Regulations can change, so keep the department’s bear page open alongside this article.
Bear Hunting Season Dates in Kentucky 2026
Kentucky splits bear hunting into a chase-only season and several harvest seasons. The department’s seasons planner lists the 2026-27 dates below.
| Season | Zone | 2026 Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Chase-only | All zones | June 1 to Aug. 31 and Sept. 9 to 30 |
| Archery/Crossbow (September) | Zone 3 | Sept. 19 to Oct. 2 |
| Hunt with Dogs | Zone 1 | Oct. 19 to 23 |
| Hunt with Dogs | Zones 2 and 3 | Oct. 19 to 23 and Oct. 29 to Nov. 6 |
| Archery/Crossbow | Zone 1 | Oct. 24 to 26 |
| Archery/Crossbow | Zones 2 and 3 | Oct. 24 to 28 |
| Firearms | Zone 1 | Dec. 12 to 14 |
| Firearms | Zones 2 and 3 | Dec. 12 to 16 |
The dates above match the zone dates published in the Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide. The Fish and Wildlife Commission has recommended changes to bear seasons, including longer Zone 1 seasons, so check the department’s bear page for the final dates before you hunt.
Bear Season by Weapon and Method in Kentucky: Archery, Muzzleloader and Firearm
You get three ways to hunt a bear in Kentucky, and each has its own window. Archery and crossbow come first, in September in Zone 3 and again in late October in all three zones. Firearms season closes the year in December.
The department says you may take a bear with archery or crossbow gear and with muzzleloader equipment during the firearms season and the hunt with dogs season. The department’s black bear page carries the equipment details.
- Archery and crossbow: Zone 3 in September, then all zones Oct. 24 start.
- Hunt with dogs: Oct. 19 start in all zones, with a second Zone 2 and 3 segment ending Nov. 6.
- Firearms (including muzzleloader): Dec. 12 start in all zones.
Spring Bear Season in Kentucky
Kentucky has no spring bear harvest season. All bear hunting seasons fall between Sept. 19 and Dec. 16, 2026.
What you will find in spring and summer is the chase-only season, which opens June 1 for dog owners. You cannot kill a bear during it. Commission recommendations from March 2026 would start the chase-only period the day after spring turkey season, so watch for a final rule.
Bear Hunting Zones, Units and Management Areas in Kentucky
Kentucky runs three bear zones in the eastern part of the state, and the department reports that permits cover 47 counties. Zone 1 has shorter seasons than Zones 2 and 3, so confirm which zone your county falls in before you pick dates.
Wildlife Management Areas carry their own limits. The planner states that chase-only is not allowed on WMAs until the third Saturday in August, and Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA is closed to bear chase and all bear hunting seasons.
Under 301 KAR 2:300, bear reserves are closed to all bear hunting and bear chase with dogs. The regulation also lists Clinton and Wayne counties for a separate 14-day season aimed at crop depredation, per the department’s regulation announcement.
Bear Hunting License, Tag and Permit Requirements in Kentucky
You need two things in your pocket: a valid annual Kentucky hunting license and a bear permit. The regulation defines a bear permit as one that, with the right license, season and method, lets you harvest one black bear of either sex.
Chasing is separate. If you run dogs, you need the annual license plus a bear chase permit, youth bear chase permit or combination bear permit, as the text of 301 KAR 2:300 lays out.
Pro Tip: Buy a combination bear permit if you plan to both chase and hunt with dogs. It covers harvesting a bear and using dogs to chase one.
Bear Permit Draws and Lotteries in Kentucky
There is no draw for bear in Kentucky. The department says hunters buy permits over the counter, so you can purchase one any time before the season you want.
That differs from elk hunting in Kentucky, where permits are limited. Plan your bear trip around the season calendar instead of an application deadline.
Nonresident Bear Hunting in Kentucky
Nonresidents can hunt bear in Kentucky. A 2023 amendment to 301 KAR 2:300 created a nonresident bear chase permit, a nonresident youth bear chase permit and a nonresident youth bear permit, according to the department’s amendment notice.
The same change let out-of-state hunters take part in bear chase and bear hunt with dogs seasons after getting the proper permits. You will still need a nonresident annual hunting license, so price both items at the department’s license page before you travel.
Bear Bag Limit and Harvest Quota in Kentucky
Your limit is one bear per permit, either sex. Kentucky does not set a statewide harvest quota that closes the season early.
Harvest has held above 200 bears, according to the department. The 2026-27 guide reports that harvest exceeded 200 in 2025, so success rates stay low even without a quota.
Baiting Rules for Bear Hunting in Kentucky
Baiting is illegal. The department’s bear page states that hunters may not use bait or other substances capable of luring black bears.
The ban reaches past your stand. The regulation prohibits direct or indirect feeding of black bears, and the department notes that feeding garbage, intentional or not, is illegal, especially during hunting season.
Pro Tip: Secure trash, pet food and bird feeders around camp. A bear-attracting setup can put you on the wrong side of the feeding rule even if you never intended to bait.
Hunting Bears with Hounds in Kentucky
Kentucky allows dogs in two seasons: the chase-only season and the bear hunt with dogs season. The department says bears may be chased only in those two windows.
The regulation lists approved breeds, including the American black and tan coonhound and black mouth cur, and the department added the Siberian Laika to that list. Anyone chasing bears with dogs during a bear hunting season must also telecheck any bear taken, per the department.
Chase permits matter on public ground. The guide notes that bear chase is not permitted on certain public lands during the season windows, so read the public land restrictions in the guide before you release dogs.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Bear Hunting in Kentucky
Archery, crossbow and muzzleloader gear are legal under the department’s rules, along with firearms during firearms season. Dogs are legal only in the two dog seasons.
The regulation bans taking a bear from a vehicle, boat or horseback. A hunter with a disability hunting methods exemption permit under 301 KAR 3:027 may use a stationary vehicle as a hunting platform.
Bait is off the table in every season. The guide’s equipment chart has the full list of legal gear.
Legal Bears and Protected Bears in Kentucky
A bear permit lets you take one black bear of either sex, so Kentucky does not restrict by sex. The regulation does not set a size rule in the passages found here.
Protected ground is the clearest limit. Bear reserves and Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA are closed to bear hunting, and you cannot shoot from a vehicle, boat or horseback.
Youth and Special Bear Hunts in Kentucky
Youth hunters have their own permits. The regulation includes a youth bear chase permit, and an adult must accompany and maintain control of a youth hunting bear with a firearm.
The Commission recommended a youth-only bear season opening the second Saturday in October and running two days in Zones 1, 2 and 3, according to its March 2026 meeting recap. Treat it as a proposal until the department publishes it.
A separate 14-day season in Clinton and Wayne counties targets crop damage, per the department’s regulation notice.
Where to Hunt Bear in Kentucky: Public and Private Land
Your hunting ground is eastern Kentucky, inside the zones the department lists. Public Wildlife Management Areas and private land both work, as long as you have permission on private ground.
The regulation requires permission to chase on private land. The seasons planner also says seasons on WMAs and other public lands can differ, so read each area’s rules before you go.
If you also hunt other game in the state, our pages on Kentucky deer season and Kentucky turkey season help you plan overlapping dates.
Best Time to Hunt Bear in Kentucky
October gives you the most overlap. The dog season, archery and crossbow seasons and mast-driven feeding all fall between Oct. 19 and Nov. 6.
September archery in Zone 3 offers the earliest harvest window and the longest, at 14 days. December firearms season is short, so weather and a single weekend decide many hunts.
Odds stay modest everywhere. The department puts hunter success near 10 percent.
Bear Hunting Hours, Sunday Hunting and Blaze Orange in Kentucky
Hunter orange is required during any firearms season. The department says all hunters must wear it, visible from all sides on the head, back and chest, when the season is open to firearms.
Archery and crossbow hunters are exempt. The bear page notes that hunter orange is not required for the bear archery and crossbow season.
Kentucky’s guide ties hunting to daylight hours for firearm bear seasons. Bear seasons are listed by calendar date, so check the guide for shooting-hour details on days that fall on a Sunday.
Tagging, Check-In and Reporting a Bear in Kentucky
Telecheck your bear by 8 p.m. on the day of harvest. The department’s bear hunting page says the requirement applies to anyone who harvests a bear in any season, and to people chasing bears with dogs.
You must also attach a department-issued carcass tag, according to the hunting guide. The Commission has recommended removing the physical check requirement and asking hunters to submit a tooth from any harvested bear, so watch for that rule change.
- Harvest your bear and attach the carcass tag.
- Telecheck by 8 p.m. the same day.
- Submit a tooth if the department adopts that requirement.
Bear Hunting Season in Kentucky 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
When Does Bear Season Start in Kentucky in 2026?
Harvest seasons begin Sept. 19 with Zone 3 archery and crossbow, and run to Dec. 16, per the department. Chase-only began June 1.
Do I Need to Draw a Bear Tag in Kentucky?
No. The department says permits are sold over the counter.
Can I Bait a Bear in Kentucky?
No. Bait and any substance capable of luring bears is prohibited, and feeding bears is illegal.
How Many Bears Can I Take?
One bear of either sex per permit.
Do I Have to Wear Blaze Orange?
Yes during firearms seasons, but not during archery or crossbow season.
How Do I Report My Bear?
Telecheck it by 8 p.m. and attach the department-issued carcass tag.