Introduction to Black Bear Trapping

Maine is the northeastern most state in the US and the largest state in the region known as New England. Maine is comprised of over 22.5 million acres and nearly 89% of that land is forested, much of which is considered suitable black bear habitat. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) is responsible for managing all wildlife species within the state. Specific to black bear, the state has a long history of monitoring, data collection, and scientific management. The abundance of habitat and the State’s commitment to effective management is evidenced by the healthy population of bears in Maine.

With one of the largest black bear populations in the lower 48 states, Maine offers excellent opportunities for hunting and trapping bear, and it is one of the few states that allows bear trapping as a method of harvest. Trapping is an important component of Maine’s black bear management plan. We designed this course to assure that anyone that wishes to trap bears in Maine understands the importance of bears in our ecosystem, the role of trapping in our management program, specific laws and regulations that pertain to bear trapping, and how to participate in bear trapping safely, ethically, and lawfully.