MONTANA BLACK BEAR HUNTS

Linehan Outfitting is proud to round out the big game offering with our hunts for Montana black bear. This Yaak Valley and northwest corner of Montana has one of the highest populations of black bears in the lower 48 states, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks describes our area as offering the best black bear hunting in the entire state. Our hunting area approaches 500 square miles, and our seasoned guides know the landscape well. A black bear hunt with Linehan Outfitting is all about exploring, glassing, and making that ultimate stalk.

Guided Montana Black Bear Hunting

HUNTING INFORMATION

A brown bear walking through a forested area with green trees and dry shrubs.
  • Mid April through Mid May (Spring), September 1st-14th (Fall Archery), September 15th-November 25th (Fall Rifle)

  • 270, 30-06, 7mm mag, 300

Non-resident licenses are $350 and can be purchased online at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Learn more about our pricing options: 

OVERVIEW

LINEHAN OUTFITTING OFFERS BOTH SPRING AND FALL BLACK BEAR HUNTS.

This corner of Montana features a great black bear population, and our local animals have color phases ranging from jet black to cinnamon to chocolate. We sometimes see animals with a coloration that seems a mix of all three. Our bear hunts are all 100% fair-chase, meaning that we do not bait bears.

The black bears we harvest generally range from 5 to 6 ½ feet from nose to tail, weighing an average of 200 -350 lbs.

Spring hunts are the most popular bear hunts we offer, and on these adventures we like to hit the ground and put in the miles. We use all methods of traditional spot and stalk, and generally in spring the bears are found at lower elevation than at other times of year. Upon leaving their dens as winter melts away, the bears make for areas thick with grass and clover, which is their primary food source early in the year. This makes tracking a bit easier since bears in pursuit of grasses and clover gravitate towards logging roads, open meadows, and logged areas.

Fall bear hunts are also spot and stalk. We concentrate efforts in high basins and berry patches where bears are frequenting as they bulk up for winter. Where there are berries, there are bears. On occasion in fall we will intercept bears that are covering ground in their attempts to access as many feeding areas as possible. Bears become quite food-focused in the fall.

BLACK BEAR HUNTING GALLERY