Louisiana hunters who want a chance to participate in the state’s third black bear hunting season since 1987 can apply to the LDWF lottery now. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager John Hanks says 42 tags will be issued through the lottery.
“It goes all the way to August 28th, and if you’re interested in that bear lottery you can go to our website and look for ‘bear lottery’ or ‘bear hunting’ or ‘bear information;’ and certainly, you can find it there, and that’s where you would go to apply,” Hanks said.
Black bear hunting season is scheduled for December 5th through the 20th. Hanks says if you win a tag, your preparation doesn’t stop there.
“You have to win a lottery to be able to participate. And if you do win the lottery, we have a mandatory bear hunter education class that you have to come to before you can get your tag, and you have to complete that,” Hanks explained.
Training courses are scheduled for October 16th, 17th, 22nd and 23rd.
To apply for the lottery, you will need a black bear hunting license and a $50 application fee. Hanks says there’s a set of designated black bear hunting areas across the state.
“Last year there were three bear areas open in the state. We have seven total in the state this year. All seven are open. Most will have a modest amount of tags, two to four, but some may have more than that,” Hanks noted.
Visit Louisianaoutdoors.com/lotteryapplications to submit your application.