Citing a healthy and expanding population, the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) unanimously approved a motion to allow hunters to kill two black bears during the hunting season. Previously, the limit was one bear per season. 

“It feels really conservative to me still to propose an increase that the scientists in the department have told us it would result, probably, in the order of 100 to 200 more. In that range, bears harvested are still well below the cap," said Erika Zavaleta, CFGC member. 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) currently allows for a harvest limit of 1,700 bears per season. The new motion keeps that same quota. Hunters took 1,181 bears in 2025. 

CDFW cites data that showed there were about 15,000 black bears statewide in the 1980s. Today, there could be as many as 80,000 with the animals expanding into Marin and Sonoma Counties north of San Francisco. 

“For me, it’s a scientific question and the second tag is supported by the information that we have. According to multiple lines of information and data and evidence, we have a stable black bear population,” said Samantha Murray, CFGC member. “I believe in hunting. I believe it’s a natural way to eat meat.” 

Fellow CFGC member Darius Anderson, who claims to be the only bear hunter on the commission, spoke of the experiences he gains from hunting black bears. Yet, he wanted to see how California’s science matched up against other state agencies, so he visited North Carolina, which he says has a very prolific bear management plan and roughly 21,000 animals. 

“Their bear population has been steadily expanding and their bear population has been growing to new areas. They are currently harvesting 4,200 bears,” said Anderson. “So, when I look at our number of a cap of 1,700, I think it’s not only reasonable but I think it does protect where many people in this state feel and have an unusual feeling about bear hunting, that the department has managed both the science and the emotion that goes along with this issue.”    

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org. 

(Photo credit: Phil Burkhouse)