Minnesota Bear Harvest Ranks Among Highest on Record

(MNN)-Minnesota’s 2026 bear hunting season ended October 18th, with hunters registering 4,168 bears, marking one of the highest harvest totals in state history. The preliminary total is about 30 percent higher than last year’s reported harvest of 2,863 bears. The 2026 total ranks among the state’s highest in more than two decades, according to reported harvest figures. About 80 percent of the season’s bear harvest typically occurs during the first two weeks of hunting, a pattern consistent with Minnesota’s long-term hunting data. Black bears are found primarily in the northern third of the state, but their range extends into central Minnesota and areas near agricultural land.