https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-hunting-regulations-summary/black-bear
Voluntary black bear tooth submission
All successful black bear hunters are encouraged to submit two premolar teeth from each black bear harvested to assist in determining the age structure of local bear populations. As a thank you for providing teeth, you will be sent an Ontario Bear Hunter Crest and the age of the bear harvested.
Resident black bear hunters can submit teeth in the mail to:
Big Game Harvest Assessment Program
Natural Resources Information Section
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
300 Water Street, 2nd Floor, North Tower
Peterborough, ON K9J 3C7
Non-residents hunting with a licensed bear operator can submit teeth to their operator who will submit the teeth to the Ministry on your behalf.
How to extract teeth
The first premolar is a small, single-rooted peg-like tooth located just behind the canines. Premolar teeth are most easily extracted shortly after the animal has been killed while the jaw is still pliable. Care should be taken when extracting the tooth to ensure that the root is not broken. To remove the tooth, push the blade of a knife down along all sides of the tooth between it and the gum. Gently loosen the tooth by rocking it back and forth using the canine for leverage, then carefully remove the tooth using pliers. Avoid cleaning teeth by scraping or boiling as it limits the ability to obtain the necessary data.
Aging premolars
To age a tooth, a thin section is taken from the root of each tooth. The section is then stained to make it easy to see the rings of the tooth. Just like rings in a tree, the rings visible on the root of the tooth can be counted to indicate the age of the bear.
