BearWise State Wildlife Agencies

Alabama Department of Conservation

Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries

website

report bear issue

Arizona Game & Fish Department

Arizona Game & Fish

Website

Report Bear Issue: Call 623-236-7201

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

website

Report bear issue: contact AGFC 24-hour hotline

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Statewide Online Wildlife Incident Reporting System

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

website

Report bear issue: call 860-424-3333

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife

website

 

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

website

Report bear issue:  Call your nearest regional FWC office

BearWise Recognition:  Florida’s BearWise Recognition guidelines or email BearManagement@MyFWC.com

 

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue

To ask about our BearWise Recognition program, please email Adam.Hammond@dnr.ga.gov or call (706) 295-6041

Idaho Fish & Game

website

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue: Contact Vince Evelsizer, Furbearer Biologist

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

website

Report bear issue: If you think you have seen a bear and have a photograph, video, tracks or other evidence that you believe will substantiate your sighting, contact the KDWPT Furbearer Biologist, Emporia Research and Survey Office at (620) 342-0658 or use the Contact Us link on the web page listed above. Or, contact a KDWPT game warden or call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-426-3843.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

website

Report bear issue: call 1-800-25-ALERT

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries

website

Report bear issue: Call regional office (phone numbers available on website)

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Call dispatch to speak with a local on-call game warden.

Houlton 1-800-924-2261
Bangor 1-800-432-7381
Augusta 1-800-452-4664

Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife & Heritage Service

website

To report bear-related emergencies, call 1-410-260-8888

If you have persistent bear issues, contact your local Maryland DNR Wildlife & Heritage Service office or one of the offices listed here.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Division

website

Report bear issue: Contact local wildlife biologist.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue: Call your local area wildlife manager for persistent bear issues.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

website

Report bear issue: Visit web page (above) to access our bear sighting reporting app

Missouri Department of Conservation

website

Report bear issue

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

website

Report bear issue: call the regional bear management specialist (or any regional office to redirect call to bear specialist)

Nevada Department of Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Call our bear hotline 775-688-BEAR (2327)

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

website

Report bear issue: Call Wildlife Division at 603-271-2461

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Fish & Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the NJDEP’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).

New Mexico Game & Fish

website

Report bear issue: Contact the local regional office

 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

website

Report bear issue: contact DEC Regional Wildlife Office

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

website

Report bear issue: contact our Human-Wildlife helpline (phone and email)

BearWise Recognition: North Carolina’s requirements or email bearwise@ncwildlife.org

North Dakota Game and Fish

website

Report bear issues: Submit a Furbearer Observation Report 

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

website

Report bear issue: please call our Wildlife Division office: 405-521-2739

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Call your local ODFW district office. 

Pennsylvania Game Commission

website

Report bear issue: Call central dispatch (717-787-4250) in Harrisburg. Regional office numbers can be found online.

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Call the Great Swamp Headquarters at 401-789-0281

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue: toll free number or online report form on our website

South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks

website

Report bear issue: Contact your local conservation officer or wildlife division regional office

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

website

Report bear issue:  Call your local Regional Office

To ask about Tennessee’s BearWise Recognition program, please email Dan.Gibbs@tn.gov
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

website

Report bear issue: Contact an agency biologist

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

website

Report bear issue: contact the VA Wildlife Conflict Helpline:

  • email: vawildlifeconflict@usda.gov
  • call: toll free 1-855-571-9003
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

website

Report bear issue: Call our Statewide dispatch at (360) 902-2936

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue: Contact regional wildlife management offices.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

website

Report bear issue: Contact USDA Wildlife Services

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

website

Report bear conflicts: Call the Wyoming State agency law enforcement dispatch center to report a bear conflict (NOT bear sightings, nor information requests)  1-800-442-2767

map of BearWise member states (September 2023)
black bear den check
Bear biologist Rich Beausoleil had to boat to a hard-to-reach river island to remove the collar of this 9-year old adult male. The multi-year research study revealed that this backcountry bear had a huge home range and never denned twice in the same area. (Photo by Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife)
Black bear biologist Andrew Timmons locates a denned, radio-collared bear in the White Mountains of NH. This bear was part of a multi-year research study related to activities and ecology of bears involved in human-bear conflicts. (Photo by New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)
Bear biologist Emily Carrollo collars a female bear that was caught at a lean-to where she was raiding unproperly kept backpacks. The bear was collared for research and orphan cub purposes, and was harassed on site when she was released to try and keep her out of trouble.
Bear biologist Adam Hammond examines a newborn black bear cub near the den. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
Field Supervisor Mark Frieberg releases a translocated black bear. (Photo by Arizona Game & Fish Dept)

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