Arizona Bear Season Opens August 7, 2026, but Each Unit Closes When Its Harvest Limit Is Reached
November 6, 2026
Bear hunting season in Arizona 2026 does not run on one statewide calendar. Dates change by hunt unit, and a unit can close in the middle of the season once hunters reach its harvest limit.
That makes the rules below worth reading before you load the truck. You will see how the fall 2026 dates work, what you need to buy, which bears are off limits, and how to report a bear after the hunt.
Every rule here comes from the Arizona Game and Fish Department 2026-27 hunting regulations. Where a figure is not in that booklet, this article describes the rule in general terms and points you to the department.
Pro Tip: Check your unit’s open or closed status on the Arizona Game and Fish Department website the morning you hunt. The booklet puts that responsibility on you, not on the department.
Bear Hunting Season Dates in Arizona 2026
Fall 2026 bear hunts in Arizona start as early as August 7, and the season for any given unit can run to December 31. One hunt listing runs Aug 7 – Aug 20, 2026, another Oct 2 – Dec 31, 2026, and a third Nov 6 – Dec 31, 2026, depending on the unit and hunt number.
Some units open later. Listings such as Aug 21 – Sep 10, 2026 appear for units including 17A, 17B, 18B, 20A, 20B and 20C. Others, like Fort Huachuca in Unit 35A, run Aug 21 – Oct 1, 2026.
Third-party sites list different opening dates, and some give a single statewide window. Use the department booklet for your unit’s exact dates, because the hunt number and unit number control everything.
| Hunt Window (Fall 2026) | Example Units Listed | Legal Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 7 – Aug 20 | 3B, 4B | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs |
| Aug 21 – Sep 10 | 5B, 6A, 17A, 17B, 18B, 20A-20C, 24A | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs |
| Oct 2 – Dec 31 | 3B, 4B, 9, 24A | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs |
| Oct 30 – Dec 31 | 4A and 5A | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs |
| Nov 6 – Dec 31 | 3C | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs |
Bear Season by Weapon and Method in Arizona: Archery, Muzzleloader and Firearm
Arizona splits some fall bear hunts by method. Fall 2026 general hunts start August 7, and archery-only hunts begin August 14, with dates varying by hunt area.
Archery-only listings exist for specific units. Examples include Units 6B (except Camp Navajo), 11M, 29, 30A, 31, 32, 33, 34A, 34B, 35A and 35B. A hunt number tells you which method applies, so match your tag to the listing before you go.
The booklet does not publish a separate muzzleloader bear season in the sections reviewed here. If you plan to hunt with a muzzleloader, confirm in the hunt table that your hunt number allows any legal weapon.
Spring Bear Season in Arizona
Arizona runs a spring bear season in selected units, and it is published in a separate booklet from the fall regulations. The 2027 spring listings include Mar 19 – Apr 22, 2027 in Units 10, 18A and 19B, and the same dates in Unit 32.
Spring hunts carry the same unit-closure rule as fall. Hunters are responsible for determining if their desired hunt unit is still open before hunting.
The spring 2026 hunts have already ended, so the next spring opportunity is the 2027 season. If you plan a spring hunt, work from the department’s 2027 spring regulations rather than older listings.
Bear Hunting Zones, Units and Management Areas in Arizona
Arizona manages bear by numbered game management unit, and some units are split into letters, such as 3B, 3C, 4A and 4B. Arizona runs on GMUs, not broad statewide openers.
Special areas appear in the tables too. Fort Huachuca in Unit 35A has its own listing, and Camp Navajo in Unit 6B is excluded from some hunts. Always confirm whether the ground you plan to hunt is public land, state trust land, military property or private land.
Pro Tip: Write down your hunt number, unit letter and legal-bear wording before you leave. The same unit can appear in several rows with different dates and limits.
Bear Hunting License, Tag and Permit Requirements in Arizona
To hunt bear in Arizona, you need a valid hunting or combination license and a bear tag. The tag is a nonpermit tag, so you do not need to win a draw for most hunts.
The spring booklet adds that any valid hunting or combination license works except a Short-term Combination Hunt and Fish License. Buy tags from a license dealer or any Arizona Game and Fish Department office.
Fees change, so check the department’s fee schedule before you buy. Third-party sites list nonpermit bear tag prices, but only the department’s own fee page is the authority.
Bear Permit Draws and Lotteries in Arizona
Most Arizona bear hunting does not run through a lottery. The bear tag is a nonpermit tag, and unit closures can happen after female harvest thresholds.
Spring bear opportunities are tied to the spring application cycle that also covers javelina and turkey. One state outdoors guide lists early October as the spring javelina, bear and turkey deadline. Treat that as a general timing note and confirm the exact deadline in the department’s 2027 spring booklet.
Nonresident Bear Hunting in Arizona
Nonresidents can hunt bear in Arizona with the same basic requirements: a valid hunting or combination license and a bear tag. Nonresident license and tag fees are higher than resident fees.
Nonresidents should pay close attention to unit status and legal-bear wording, since they often travel a long way to hunt. A unit that closes mid-season does not refund travel time.
If you are also planning other Arizona hunts on the same trip, see our guides to elk hunting season in Arizona and turkey hunting season in Arizona.
Bear Bag Limit and Harvest Quota in Arizona
Harvest limits are the biggest change to watch in 2026. Harvest limits have been set by unit and species for bear, mountain lion and over-the-counter archery deer seasons.
On the annual limit, one state guide lists a bear bag limit of 1 per calendar year, with exceptions. Another source lists an annual limit of 2, with one allowed under restricted nonpermit population-management rules. The booklet also notes a bag limit change for deer, javelina and bear in population management seasons only.
Because the limit depends on the hunt type, read the bag limit column for your specific hunt in the department booklet.
Baiting Rules for Bear Hunting in Arizona
The regulations reviewed for this article do not spell out a baiting rule for bear, so this guide does not state one. Arizona’s wildlife rules on baiting and attractants can apply on certain lands and to certain methods.
Before you place anything out to attract a bear, read the current baiting and method rules in the Arizona Game and Fish Department regulations. Also check any rules set by the land manager, such as the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management.
Hunting Bears with Hounds in Arizona
The booklet sections reviewed for this article do not describe hound hunting for bear, so this guide does not state a rule. Methods like hounds are covered under the department’s general rules on legal take.
If you plan to use dogs, confirm the current rule directly with the Arizona Game and Fish Department before your hunt. Hunting with dogs can also involve land-manager restrictions on public land.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Bear Hunting in Arizona
Bear hunts in Arizona fall into two broad method groups. Common legal methods listed are archery and general firearms. Archery-only hunts exist in certain units, while other hunts allow any legal weapon.
The full list of legal equipment, including caliber and bow requirements, sits in the department’s regulations under its general methods of take. Read it before you buy gear for the hunt.
Legal Bears and Protected Bears in Arizona
The legal bear is the same on nearly every hunt in the tables: any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs. That means a sow traveling with cubs is protected, and so are the cubs.
Black bear is the only huntable bear in Arizona. The part many hunters miss is that units close when the female harvest limit is reached. Female bears you legally take count toward that limit.
Common Mistake: Hunting a unit after its harvest limit has been reached. The department says you must check unit status online before you hunt, and a closed unit is closed even if the printed season is still open.
Youth and Special Bear Hunts in Arizona
The regulations and guides reviewed do not show a separate youth-only bear season. One state outdoors guide notes that no separate youth-only season is listed for bear. Youth hunters generally follow the same hunts as adults, with the appropriate license and tag.
Special hunts do exist in the form of population management seasons and hunts on installations like Fort Huachuca in Unit 35A. Those have their own dates and rules, so read the listing for each one.
Where to Hunt Bear in Arizona: Public and Private Land
Bear country in Arizona is mostly timbered and rugged terrain across national forests and state land. One guide points to the Mogollon Rim and central forests as strong areas for elk, bear, turkey, squirrel and deer.
Public land access runs through national forests, Bureau of Land Management land and state trust land, and each has its own access rules. Private land needs landowner permission, and military property like Fort Huachuca has its own hunt listing.
Combine your land research with the unit’s open-or-closed status, since a good-looking spot is worthless if the unit has closed. For other Arizona species you can plan around, see quail hunting season in Arizona and dove hunting season in Arizona.
Best Time to Hunt Bear in Arizona
Early fall is the popular window. One Arizona guide says about 90% of Arizona bears are taken during the fall season. The same guide recommends August through October when bears are most active and food sources are concentrated.
Late summer fruit can pull bears to lower elevations. Early hunts also tend to be the hunts that fill the female harvest limit first, so plan around unit closures.
Later hunts that start October 2, October 30 or November 6 give you cooler weather but fewer days in which a bear is actively feeding.
Bear Hunting Hours, Sunday Hunting and Blaze Orange in Arizona
For big game including bear, legal hours generally follow a daylight rule. Arizona does not restrict Sunday hunting for bear in the regulations reviewed, so you may hunt any day your unit is open.
The booklet reviewed does not set a blaze orange requirement for bear hunters. Wearing it is still a sensible safety choice during busy fall seasons when other hunters share the same units.
Tagging, Check-In and Reporting a Bear in Arizona
This is the part that changed for 2026. Starting in fall 2026, mandatory harvest reporting for bear, mountain lion and over-the-counter archery deer will be accepted online only.
The department requires you to report your harvest within 48 hours under rule R12-4-308. After that, the skull and hide must be presented for inspection within 10 days.
- Tag the bear as your hunt requires.
- Report the harvest online within 48 hours at the department’s harvest reports page.
- Present the skull and hide for inspection within 10 days.
If the season closes after you take a bear, the rules allow you to keep the carcass by attaching your bear tag, as set out in R12-4-305(H).
Bear Hunting Season in Arizona 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
When Does Bear Season Open in Arizona in 2026?
Fall hunts start as early as August 7, 2026, and some run through December 31, 2026. The exact dates depend on your unit and hunt number.
Do I Need to Draw a Permit for a Bear Tag?
No draw is needed for most hunts. You need a valid hunting or combination license and a bear tag.
Can I Shoot a Sow With Cubs?
No. The legal bear is any bear except cubs with sows and sows with cubs.
How Do I Report a Bear?
Report online within 48 hours. Online-only reporting starts in fall 2026, and you must also present the skull and hide for inspection within 10 days.
What Happens If My Unit Closes?
Units close when the harvest limit is reached. Check the department’s online unit status before every hunt, because the responsibility sits with you.
For another Arizona draw-based hunt, read our rabbit hunting season in Arizona guide, and for the full set of rules and unit tables, use the department’s 2026-27 regulations booklet.