Healthy bear populations across much of the country mean there's no better time than right now to be a bear hunter, whether you're looking for your first animal or one for the record books.

Black bear hunters in Alaska should fare pretty darn well this year. The state's Harry Reynolds says numbers are strong throughout forested habitat, and some units will sport a three-bear limit. Units near Fairbanks and in southeast Alaska are perennial hotspots.

As for brown/grizzly bears, harvests have remained stable at around 1,200 animals. Regulations in many units north of the Alaska Range were liberalized for residents this year. Nonresidents stand the best chances by hunting with a registered guide "with a long track record of big bear success," Reynolds notes. He says trophy bears tend to be taken most frequently on Kodiak Island (Unit 8), on the Alaska Peninsula (Unit 9) and in the southeast (Unit 4).

The Midwest holds huge potential. Michigan hunters shot 2,200 bears last fall, the fourth highest harvest on record since the state went to a license quota system. The tag quota is expected to remain similar to last year's 9,295 tags, says DNR's Dave Bostick. "Our success rates normally run about 25 to 30 percent, but that was down slightly last year due to some warm weather at the season opener," he notes.

Bear numbers are strongest in the Upper Peninsula where Bostick says 90 percent of the Wolverine State's population (15,000 to 19,000 animals) resides. Hunters who apply for later fall season tags in the U.P. have better chances than those trying for tags in the more crowed northern Lower Peninsula sections.

Hunters face a similar situation in neighboring Wisconsin, which has established itself as a trophy hotspot. Unfortunately, drawing a tag in some units can take up to nine preference points.

Though bear numbers are strong, interest in the sport is increasing exponentially. This year 67,000 applicants vied for the limited quota tags. "Bear numbers are strongest in the northwest (Zone A1), which also had the highest success rates of any zone," says Wisconsin's Keith Warnke. But Zone C, located farther south, might be a sleeper spot. Fewer bears live in the region, but there are some big ones and there's less hunting pressure.

In terms of sheer opportunity, Minnesota may be the go-to state in the Great Lakes region. "Last year, seven of the 11 bear permit areas were under-subscribed," says the state's Lou Cornicelli. "Applications have been declining the last few years, and we don't know why. Last fall, hunters harvested 3,391 bears, which was a good season for us." Cornicelli estimates Minnesota's population at 25,000 animals.

Most of the Gopher State's prime bear habitat (and quota areas) lies in the northern two-thirds of the state. A large no-quota area lies on the fringes of these quota zones and is particularly enticing because of over-the-counter licenses and a two-bear limit.

In the West, states such as Idaho are noting healthy bear populations and increased hunting. The state's Steve Nadeau says many units in the northern part of the state will have a two-bear limit. Tags are unlimited, and reduced-price licenses are available to encourage harvest in many wilderness units.

Nadeau says the Clearwater, Salmon and Panhandle regions all support healthy bear numbers. "Last year we harvested about 2,500 bears, with the highest numbers coming from the Panhandle and Clearwater units," he says.

If your idea of a trophy black bear is a color-phase animal, Washington may be your spot. "We see about every color phase but white," says the state's Rich Beausoleil.