That's a huge increase from the estimated total of 550,000 bears in the U.S. and Canada in 1977. And they're showing up in places where bears never were before. Maryland, for example, now counts some 200 bruins. California's numbers have also skyrocketed. There are several reasons for this growth.
Improved habitat is a major one.
And flourish they have. Odds for Success Fall bear hunting is, as they say, the same, only different. It all depends on where you are. But no matter how you choose to hunt bears, it will be more challenging than deer hunting. Pennsylvania, for example, is a state with a reputation for good bear hunting.