Tennessee black bear season 2026-27 Open
Black bear season in Tennessee is open now, closes Nov 16, 2026.
Dates only. Bag limits, legal methods, licences and zone boundaries: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Read yesterday.
| Season | Zone | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | BHZ 1 | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Archery Only | BHZ 2 | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Archery Only | BHZ 3 | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Archery Only | BHZ 4 | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Archery Only | BHZ 5 | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Archery Only | Transitional Zone | Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery | BHZ 1 | Nov 21, 2026 to Nov 24, 2026 | Opens soon opens in 7 days |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery | BHZ 2 | Nov 21, 2026 to Nov 24, 2026 | Opens soon opens in 7 days |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery | BHZ 3 | Nov 21, 2026 to Nov 24, 2026 | Opens soon opens in 7 days |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery, private | BHZ 5 | Dec 12, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 28 days |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery (Young Sportsman Only) | BHZ 1 | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery (Young Sportsman Only) | BHZ 2 | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery (Young Sportsman Only) | BHZ 3 | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery (Young Sportsman Only), private | BHZ 4 | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzz/Archery (Young Sportsman Only), private | BHZ 5 | Oct 31, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds | BHZ 1 | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 5, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 2 | BHZ 1 | Oct 10, 2026 to Oct 11, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 3 | BHZ 1 | Nov 9, 2026 to Nov 16, 2026 | Open open, closes in 2 days |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 4 | BHZ 1 | Nov 30, 2026 to Dec 16, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 16 days |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds | BHZ 2 | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 2 | BHZ 2 | Nov 2, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 3 | BHZ 2 | Nov 30, 2026 to Dec 15, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 16 days |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds | BHZ 3 | Oct 3, 2026 to Oct 4, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 2 | BHZ 3 | Oct 10, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 3 | BHZ 3 | Nov 2, 2026 to Nov 6, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 4 | BHZ 3 | Nov 30, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 16 days |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds segment 5 | BHZ 3 | Dec 31, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 47 days |
| Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds, private | BHZ 4 | Dec 12, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 28 days |
Black bear hunting in Tennessee runs from Sep 26, 2026 (Archery Only, BHZ 1) to Jan 3, 2027 (Gun/Muzzleloader/ Archery with hounds) in the 2026-27 season, and is open now, closes Nov 16, 2026.
Dates differ by zone or unit (BHZ 1, BHZ 2, BHZ 3 and BHZ 4 and others); check the zone column before you plan.
Some seasons run in two or more segments; each segment is its own row.
Source: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, TWRA Summary of Hunting and Trapping Seasons (page). Read yesterday.