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Bear Hunting

Black Bears in Oklahoma

Black bears once ranged across North America, including the entire area of what is now Oklahoma, but by the early 1900s, sightings had become rare. Factors like land use changes, unregulated hunting, and habitat fragmentation caused black bear numbers to eventually decline drastically.

In the late 1900s, however, black bears began making a comeback in Oklahoma after the successful reintroduction of black bears in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. That initial relocation of about 250 bears from northern Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada, turned into thousands of bears in the mountains of Arkansas, which then expanded into southwest Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.

This successful reestablishment of black bears led to a renewed black bear hunting season in Arkansas in 1980.

Today bears have a growing population in southeast Oklahoma and are an important part of the state's wildlife diversity. Biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have collected biological data mainly from bear surveys and research projects.

Bear Regulations Black Bear Bio


 

HUNTING & SAFETY TIPS

Watch Oklahoma Controlled Hunts Update 2023 on YouTube.
Oklahoma Controlled Hunts Update 2023
Watch Baiting Black Bears: Tips and Techniques on YouTube.
Baiting Black Bears: Tips and Techniques
Watch Locating Black Bears Without Using Bait on YouTube.
Locating Black Bears Without Using Bait
Watch SOW vs BOAR - BLACK BEAR GENDER IDENTIFICATION MADE EASY!!!(Manitoba bear hunting) on YouTube.
SOW vs BOAR - BLACK BEAR GENDER IDENTIFICATION MADE EASY!!!(Manitoba bear hunting)
Watch Fall Bear Hunting Tips | Spot & Stalk and Bait Hunting on YouTube.
Fall Bear Hunting Tips | Spot & Stalk and Bait Hunting
Watch Firearm Safety on YouTube.
Firearm Safety

CLEANING & PROCESSING TIPS

Watch How to Skin and Butcher a Black Bear with Steven Rinella - MeatEater on YouTube.
How to Skin and Butcher a Black Bear with Steven Rinella - MeatEater
Watch Black Bear 101 | Skinning and Processing | Part 1 on YouTube.
Black Bear 101 | Skinning and Processing | Part 1
Watch How to field dress a bear on YouTube.
How to field dress a bear

COOKING TIPS

Watch How to Cook Bear: Field to Table Fundamentals Ep. 5 on YouTube.
How to Cook Bear: Field to Table Fundamentals Ep. 5
Watch How to Cook Bear Meat in Bear Fat with Steven Rinella - MeatEater on YouTube.
How to Cook Bear Meat in Bear Fat with Steven Rinella - MeatEater
Watch Garlic Butter Steak Bites (Using Bear Meat) | ROUGH COOKING RECIPE | CATCH CLEAN COOK on YouTube.
How To Cook Black Bear | ROUGH COOKING RECIPE | CATCH CLEAN COOK