Photo by Mitch Adolph, submitted to the 2023 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
Maryland hunters harvested 89 black bears during the state’s 23rd annual black bear hunt held Oct. 26-31 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The 2026 harvest was consistent with the 5-year average of 95 bears.
The 2026 harvest consisted of 28 male and 61 female bears. The total harvest from each county was: 61 from Garrett County, 10 from Washington County, nine from Allegany County, and nine from Frederick County. The largest bear harvested had an estimated live weight of 313 pounds and was taken in Garrett County. Fifteen additional bears– four male and 11 female–were harvested between August 15 and October 27 by farmers with agricultural damage permits.
“Low nighttime temperatures created beautiful morning and evening conditions ideal for bear hunting and a successful season,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer said. “Each year, we rely on our dedicated hunters to contribute to the management of black bears in the state.”
Though favorable weather conditions existed for much of the season, locating natural food sources, such as acorns or hickory nuts, was reportedly difficult, especially on public lands. Because natural foods were difficult to find, many hunters struggled to locate recent bear signs and pattern bear movements. Despite the lack of food, the 2026 season harvest was identical to that of 2025. The daily harvest was highest early in the weeklong season, with many hunters attributing their success to hunting near standing agricultural corn.
2026 Maryland black bear hunt by the numbers:
- 156 pounds was the average weight of bears taken.
- 72% of bears were taken on private land.
- 4,819 hunters applied for a permit.
- 1,050 permits were awarded.
As part of an overall strategy of managing Maryland’s bear population, the Wildlife and Heritage Service uses regulated hunting to slow the growth of the population and provide relief to human-bear conflicts. Due to several decades of habitat recovery and regional conservation programs, Maryland is now home to a healthy population of bears, with the breeding population concentrated in the four westernmost counties – Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick.
The department will continue to evaluate its bear management strategy moving forward and make adjustments as needed to ensure the population remains healthy for bears and people.
More information about black bear management in Maryland is available on the department’s website.
