Spring Bear Season Open, Identify Your Target

Spring hunting season for black bear opened on April 15 throughout the Idaho Panhandle Region. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game would like to remind sportsmen to carefully identify their target before shooting. Grizzly bears may be encountered throughout much of big game unit 1 and potentially in Unit 4-A, and are protected by both state and federal law. Under field conditions, it may be very difficult to distinguish grizzly bears from black bears. The mistaken shooting of grizzlies has been a significant factor limiting the recovery of grizzly bears in northern Idaho. Grizzly bears have a large hump on their shoulders, a dished face, longer claws on their front feet, and shorter more rounded ears than black bears. Size and color are not reliable features to identify the bears. For more information, please contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at: (208) 267-4085. Hunters, know your bears!