The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will open the Louisiana black bear hunting lottery on August 29, 2024. Louisiana’s official state mammal, the Louisiana black bear is one of 16 unique subspecies of the American black bear in North America. It was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Years of overexploitation from bear hunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries and widespread deforestation drastically reduced the population and distribution of Louisiana black bear. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders the Louisiana black bear has now recovered and was removed from the list in 2016.
Lottery Application Requirements
- The 2024 Black Bear Lottery is open from August 29 – September 25.
- A $50.00 application fee will be charged to each applicant. This fee is non-refundable.
- All applicants will be notified of their results by the email provided. An applicant’s results can also be viewed at https://louisianaoutdoors.com/lottery-applications.
- Only one application is allowed per applicant per lottery. For example, an individual cannot apply more than once for the WMA Black Bear Lottery. However, they can apply once each for the WMA Black Bear Lottery and once for the general Black Bear Lottery.
The number of bear harvest permits issued will be determined based on Bear Area-specific population estimates and vital rate data acquired at regular intervals. The number of bear harvest permits issued at any given time during the season shall not allow the harvest to exceed the number of bears of either sex in any Bear Area that would compromise the long-term sustainability of the Bear Area population.
Bear harvest permits will consist of three types: Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Private Landowner, and General. Black bear season opens the first Saturday in December and remains open through Sunday following the third Saturday in December. Black bear season is currently restricted to Bear Area 4.
Bear Area 4 Includes:
- All of the following parishes:
- East Carroll, Madison, Tensas, West Carroll.
- Portions of the following parishes:
- Catahoula—that portion east of US Highway 425;
- Franklin—that portion east of US Highway 425;
- Richland—that portion east of US Highway 425.
If you have questions concerning the lottery application process, please contact David Hayden at 318.487.5353 or dhayden@wlf.la.gov. If you have questions about bears or bear hunting, please contact John Hanks at 318.343.4044.
You can find more information on the LDWF website.
Source: LDWF website