General season black bear hunting opens August 1 and runs through November 30 in eastern Oregon and December 31 in western Oregon. To find a bear early in the season, hunt the food sources that are available. In August and September, that means hiking the high mountain meadows and the old burns where huckleberries grow. In the alpine, small berry bushes such as crowberry, blueberry and bearberry often are a food source for a bruin.
