A House bill would list black bears as a fur bearing animal in Iowa. (Photo by U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service)
As Iowa’s black bear population becomes more permanent, lawmakers seek to end the “open season” on the bears by designating them a fur-bearing animal in the state.
House File 2099 would add black bears to the state list of fur-bearing animals, which would give the Natural Resources Commission the ability to establish a hunting or trapping season for the bears. The bill additionally sets a $2,500 fine for the unlawful killing of a bear.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Brian Lohse, R-Bondurant, who said the issue was brought to his attention by his son, who he said wants to protect black bears so that he could one day hunt them in Iowa.
“This is an issue that we need to address, and the reality that we potentially have bears cubbing – having cubs – … Now’s the time to protect them, because they’re not currently protected under Iowa law,” Lohse said.
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Without a formal designation in Iowa code, there are no penalties or regulations against hunting black bears in the state.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in May 2025 that several black bears overwintered in northeast Iowa, which is a step toward an established breeding population of black bears in Iowa. On average, there are five bear sightings annually in Iowa and in 2024 there were eight sightings, according to DNR.
Lohse said if the state protects the animals, they can manage their populations and keep them from becoming too numerous.
Preston Moore, on behalf of the Humane World for Animals, opposed the bill and said in the subcommittee that the potential the bill creates for trapping black bears is “egregious and cruel.”
“Our biggest concern with this bill is that it’s being framed as a black bear protection bill,” Moore said. “Yes, it would protect black bears on the surface, but it would also open the door to the Natural Resource Commission establishing a trapping season against this species.”
Environmental groups like the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, the Iowa division of the Izaak Walton League and the Iowa Conservation Alliance registered in support of the bill, with a lobbyist for the latter saying it was the “first step” to protecting the animal.
Jim Obradovich, speaking on behalf of the Iowa Trappers Association, which is registered undecided on the bill, pushed back on the notion that fur trapping was a cruel practice. He said trapping is done in “a humane way” in Iowa.
A similar bill was introduced in 2025, but did not have a subcommittee hearing.
All three representatives in the subcommittee signed on to advance the bill, though Rep. Jennifer Smith, R-Dubuque, said she was “a little uneasy” about the current language in the bill.
Note: Jim Obradovich is married to Iowa Capital Dispatch Editor Kathie Obradovich.