If you want to keep your black bear bait site for the upcoming season, the time to renew is approaching. Black bear bait site renewals begin on Thursday, March 1 at 8 a.m. Individuals who want to renew the same black bear bait site from the previous calendar year can renew as long as the bait site was baited and GPS coordinates to the site were received by the Game and Fish prior to December 31, 2017.  Last year was the first year Game and Fish required hunters to provide specific locations and to place bait at all registered sites, with the intent to open up more areas and increase opportunity for hunters. Sites for which coordinates were not received will not be eligible for renewal. Hunters can renew with the Game and Fish by telephone, mail, fax or online through the website.

Black bear hunters must have a 2018 black bear license to register a bait site. No bear bait may be placed on state, federal, or Game and Fish lands without first registering the bait site with Game and Fish. See Section 6 of the Black Bear Hunting Seasons for areas closed to baiting.  Each bear hunter is allowed two bait sites; however, hunters may only have one bait per section, as illustrated on U.S. Forest Service of Bureau of Land Management maps. Bear baits cannot be placed more than seven days prior to opening day and must be removed seven days after the last day of the hunting season.

Any bait sites not renewed by close of business March 20 will be made available for new registrations on April 2, 2018. Individuals must register new sites in person (or by representative) at any regional office. Bait sites cannot be registered at the Cheyenne Headquarters Office, and new sites cannot be registered online.

Black bear hunters with questions about hunting seasons can review the regulations or contact a regional office.