We are currently offering black bear hunts Tennessee.  Please email us for season dates. 

We do not offer spring bear hunting and our bears are not color phase.
We do not provide hunting licenses as it is all free range, fair chase hunting the old fashioned way. Georgia requires individual identification. License fees vary. Please click on the License Information link for more information.

We hunt black bear during the fall and winter. We can hunt with hounds but we cannot hunt bear over food as bait. We can also still hunt using burn sticks and sow bear urine as an attractant.

Guide fee: Email for current rates.

1. Wild Boar OR Black Bear Hunts.  Fall and winter hunts only for black bear. Hogs can be hunted year round on private land in Georgia.

2. Special Combo hunt Wild Boar and Black Bear

Season dates will be announced.

The first day of the hunt is not the time to try to break in a pair of new boots. We hunt in wooded, mountainous terrain so rubber boots suitable for swamp hunting and tennis shoes will not work in our area.

It is also advisable to bring a canteen of water as you will definitely work up a thirst. If you have a pocket camera bring that also, but most of our guides carry cameras with them. If this is your first bear hunt or your 50th, you're in for some real fast-paced excitement.

We utilize several hunting methods, but hunting with a good pack of trained hounds is one of the most exciting ways to bear hunt.

Shot range on bear hunts is usually 30-40 yards. You probably won't need a scope on your rifle or shotgun. Choice of weapons include archery, primitive weapons, shotguns and rifles or even handguns. High caliber rifles are recommended with at least 180+ grain bullets. Shotguns must be used with slugs. Handguns must have at least a 5 1/2 inch barrel and be at least above 24 caliber.

The typical life span of a bear is about 8 to 15 years. Wild bears tend to live 23 percent longer than "garbage" bears (those that exist on unnatural foods). Adult bears are generally up to six feet in length and about three feet high at the shoulder. Female adult bears can weigh up to 300 pounds and attain breeding status about 3.5-4.5 years of age. Adult males can weigh over 500 pounds and may breed as early as 1.5 years of age. Bears have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. They are good tree climbers, can swim well and are able to run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.  Female bears become sexually mature at two to five years of age. The breeding season is in July and cubs are born in the den in late January or February. Bear cubs weigh about eight ounces when born, are relatively undeveloped and entirely dependent on the mother. Cubs stay with their mother throughout the first year, den with her during the following winter and stay with her until she finally drives them away the following spring. Due to this extended care for her young, females only produce a litter every two years.

FOOD HABITS

Bears are considered omnivorous meaning their diet consists of whatever is readily available at that time of year. Diets vary according to what part of the state the bear calls home. However, the majority of their natural diet consists of berries, fruits, acorns, grasses and animal matter, including insects or mammals-even deer. When houses, camps or recreation areas are located within range, bears are naturally attracted to the smells associated with cooking and garbage disposal. Other non-natural attractants include pet food, birdseed, suet, compost piles, gardens, beehives and cornfields. Bears can become attracted to human food when their natural diet sources are scarce. Non-natural type foods are typically easier to obtain and associated with humans, therefore luring bears away from natural food sources and dissolving the bears natural fear of humans. A bear typically will remain in an area where food can be found until that food supply is gone or until other measures are taken.

NUISANCE

WRD Game Management Offices receive numerous bear nuisance calls bears every year. Typically, the caller expects WRD to capture and relocate the bear. This is usually not the best solution for residents or bears as other bears may move into the "abandoned" territory or the relocated bear, trying to find its way back, is commonly hit by a car. In addition, relocated bears typically will enter into territory conflicts with existing bears resulting injury or death of one or both bears.

For each nuisance situation, a WRD associate evaluates why the bear is causing problems. Most problems can be resolved through simple actions such as taking down bird feeders, taking in pet food, or storing garbage in an area unavailable to bears like a garage. Removing or making attractants unavailable to bears is a critical step in resolving bear/human conflicts. It is equally important for people to be patient. It may take several days for the bear to learn that it is no longer going to be provided with a free meal. In most cases, the bear will simply move on when the food source is no longer present. Installation of an electric fence may be necessary when bee yards and gardens are involved. When camping or hiking, store food items in a vehicle or hoist food packs into the air away from the trunks of trees. If left alone, young bears searching for territory will usually find their way back to a more traditional range. Capture and relocation is a last resort and only warranted if a bear persists in being a nuisance and presents a safety threat to residents or major property damage is likely.

BEAR/HUMAN CONFLICTS

There are no recorded bear attacks on humans in Georgia, and no fatalities. There have only been two documented fatal black bear attacks in the Southeastern United States. Please email for more information about hunting black bear.