Spring Bear Hunting in Canada and Alaska: How to Plan Your Hunt

By Ben Ryder • Published October 27, 2026

Spring bear hunting is the most affordable way for an American hunter to book a fly-in, horseback or coastal big-game hunt in Canada or Alaska. Seasons generally open in April and run into June, bears come out of their dens with prime hides, and success rates on good outfitted hunts are high. The catch is the planning: guide rules, baiting laws and border paperwork all differ by province and state, and the best camps fill a year or more ahead.

This guide covers how a spring bear hunt works, where to go, and what to sort out before you leave home. It draws on more than a decade of bear hunts filmed by host Steve West and his staff on Steve’s Outdoor Adventures, from coastal British Columbia to the Alaska Range.

Travis Price hunts spring black bear in western British Columbia. Watch: B.C. Spring Black Bear Hunt. Image: Steve’s Outdoor Adventures / CarbonTV.

When is spring bear season?

Most spring black bear seasons in western Canada open in April and close in June, with exact dates set by province and management zone and published in each province’s annual hunting regulations. Alaska’s spring brown and grizzly bear seasons follow a similar window in most units, opening in April and running into late May or June.

Timing inside that window matters more than the calendar. Boars leave the den first. Sows with cubs come out later. Early hunts put you on big boars feeding on the first green grass on south-facing slopes, while late May and June bring the breeding season, when boars cover ground looking for sows and become easier to catch moving in daylight. Hides start to rub as the weather warms, so many experienced hunters favor the first half of the season for a trophy rug.

Where to hunt spring bears

British Columbia

B.C. offers spot-and-stalk hunting on coastal clearcuts and inlets and horseback hunts in the interior mountains. Baiting is not allowed in B.C., so hunts are built on glassing and covering ground, often by boat along the coast. Color-phase bears in cinnamon, chocolate and blond are common in the interior. B.C. closed its grizzly bear hunt in December 2017, so a B.C. spring hunt today is a black bear hunt.

Steve’s crew has filmed B.C. bear hunts from the coast to the Kootenays, including Coastal BC Bear Hunt, a horseback hunt in southeast B.C. in A Black Bear for Rick, and B.C. Black Bear Hunt with Kristi Titus.

Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba

The prairie provinces are the heart of baited spring bear hunting. Hunters sit stands over bait sites in mixed aspen and spruce forest, where black bear densities are high and color-phase bears show up regularly. Baiting lets a hunter judge a bear at close range before the shot, which helps first-time bear hunters and bowhunters.

SOA's John Sullivan on his first black bear hunt, in Saskatchewan — SOA’s John Sullivan on his first black bear hunt, in Saskatchewan. Watch: John’s First Black Bear Hunt. Image: Steve’s Outdoor Adventures / CarbonTV.

Travis Price has vetted outfitters across the region on camera, including Black Bear Hunting in Canada in Saskatchewan, Alberta Black Bear Hunting, and an early June hunt in Manitoba Bear Hunt.

An early June spring bear hunt in Manitoba. Watch: Manitoba Bear Hunt. Image: Steve’s Outdoor Adventures / CarbonTV.

Alaska

Alaska offers two very different spring hunts. Coastal black bear hunts, often run from boats in southeast Alaska, are among the best values in North American big-game hunting. Spring brown and grizzly bear hunts put hunters in snow-covered country as bears leave their dens, and they are physically demanding, expensive and unforgettable.

For a look at both, watch Alaska Black Bear Hunt on the coast, Alaska’s Spring Grizzly Hunt with John Sullivan, and the newest episode, Steve’s Birthday Grizzly.

Do you need a guide to hunt bears?

In most cases, yes. Canada’s provinces generally require hunters who live outside Canada to hunt big game, including black bear, with a licensed outfitter or guide. In practice, nearly every American spring bear hunter in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba books through an outfitter, and in several provinces non-resident bear tags are allocated to outfitters rather than sold over the counter. Your outfitter will confirm the current licence, tag and season details for the area you hunt.

In Alaska, nonresidents must hunt brown and grizzly bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat with a licensed guide, or with an Alaska resident who is a close relative (second degree of kindred). Nonresidents can hunt black bear without a guide, though most first-timers still book one for the boat, the local knowledge and the meat and hide care.

How to choose a bear outfitter

Steve’s Outdoor Adventures is built around this question. Steve West and his staff book hunts for clients and send consultants like Travis Price to hunt with new outfitters before recommending them. Ask any outfitter for:

Success and opportunity rates for the last three seasons, and how they define each.
How many hunters are in camp and how many bait sites or glassing areas each hunter gets.
Average size and color-phase mix of bears taken.
What is included: tags, licenses, transport from the airport, meals, trophy care and meat care.
References from recent clients, including hunters who did not kill a bear.
Who handles CITES export paperwork for the hide and skull.

Getting your rifle into Canada

American hunters can bring non-restricted hunting rifles and shotguns into Canada. Complete the RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration (Form RCMP 5589) before you travel, but do not sign it until a Canada Border Services Agency officer asks you to. The confirmed declaration carries a fee of $25 CAD and is valid for 60 days. Handguns are restricted, and many semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15-type rifles, are prohibited in Canada and cannot be brought in. Declare all firearms and ammunition at the border.

Before you leave the United States, register your rifle and optics with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Form 4457. It proves you owned the gear before the trip and saves trouble on the way home.

One more item catches hunters every year: a criminal record, including a single DUI, can make a U.S. citizen inadmissible to Canada. If that applies to you, apply for criminal rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit well before the hunt.

Bringing your bear home

How you bring your bear home decides the paperwork. Black bears are listed under CITES Appendix II, but Canada exempts legally hunted black bear trophies that travel between Canada and the United States as the hunter’s own accompanied personal baggage. The exemption covers the hide (including paws and claws attached), the skull and meat in a fresh, frozen or salted condition. It applies only to residents of Canada or the U.S., only for non-commercial use, and it excludes all organs. Details are on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s permitting exemptions page.

If you leave the hide with a Canadian taxidermist or have it shipped home later, it is no longer accompanied baggage and a CITES export permit is normally required. Most outfitters and taxidermists know the process. On the U.S. side, wildlife imports are declared to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and shipping through a licensed broker avoids delays. Gall bladders and other organs stay behind.

Rifle, bow and shot placement

A black bear does not need a magnum. Any well-constructed bullet from a .270, .308, .30-06 or similar cartridge is plenty at bait-site ranges. Spring grizzly hunters carry more gun, commonly a .300 or .338 magnum or a .375 H&H, with heavy, controlled-expansion bullets. Steve West’s three-part bullet series, starting with Bullet Episode Part 1, shows how hunting bullets are built and how they perform.

Bears carry thick fur and fat that hide the vitals and soak up blood. Aim tight behind the front leg, a third of the way up the body, and wait for a broadside or slightly quartering-away bear. A bear that runs off rarely leaves a good blood trail, so take your time before the shot.

Coastal black bear country in Alaska. Watch: Alaska Black Bear Hunt. Image: Steve’s Outdoor Adventures / CarbonTV.

How to judge a bear’s size

Mature boars look smaller than they are. Look for ears that appear small and set wide on a broad head, a belly that hangs close to the ground, and a heavy, rolling walk. Young bears look leggy with big ears. Never shoot a sow with cubs or a cub; that is illegal across the provinces and Alaska and it hurts future hunting.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time for a spring bear hunt?

The first half of the season, roughly mid-April through May in most areas, offers prime hides and boars feeding in the open. Late May and June bring rutting activity and more daytime movement, with a higher chance of rubbed hides.

Can you bait bears in Canada?

Baiting is legal in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba under provincial rules. It is not allowed in British Columbia, where hunts are spot-and-stalk.

Do Americans need a guide to hunt bear in Canada?

Generally yes. Hunters who live outside Canada are required to hunt big game with a licensed outfitter or guide in the major bear provinces.

Can I bring my rifle to Canada for a bear hunt?

Yes, if it is a non-restricted rifle or shotgun. Fill out the RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration, pay the $25 CAD fee at the border, and register the gun on CBP Form 4457 before you leave the U.S.

Do I need a guide for a black bear in Alaska?

No. Nonresidents need a guide or a qualifying resident relative for brown and grizzly bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat, but not for black bear.

Watch spring bear hunts on CarbonTV

Steve’s Outdoor Adventures streams free on CarbonTV, with more than 130 episodes of western big-game and destination hunts. Start with these spring bear episodes:

See every episode at Steve’s Outdoor Adventures on CarbonTV.

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