The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says it received 1,300 applications for the 2025 Black Bear Hunting Lottery. LDWF black bear biologist John Hanks says the 2024 hunt drew 973 applications. He says interest was higher this year, because more of the state is open to bear hunting during a two-week-long season in December.
“Last year was in just the Tensas area. This year is in the Tensas area and the Pointe Coupee area, also known as the Upper Atchafalaya area, and that coastal area that is the Lower Atchafalaya area. So we have three bear areas open this year,” Hanks explained
From those 1,300 applications, 26 permits were issued for the 2025 Black Bear Hunting Season, which will run from December “6th to the 21st. Hanks says last year, only 11 permits were issued.
” Very successful last year, and we’ll have a whole new group of hunters this year and different weather conditions and things that are out of our control, so we will see. Those 26 people will have an opportunity. They’ll have a chance to bear hunt for two weeks in Louisiana,” Hanks said.
The Louisiana black bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. But thanks to a collaborative effort among many stakeholders, the black bear was removed from the list in 2016, and Hanks says the population remains healthy.
“Everything that we’re monitoring is either stable or growing. So we have some excess animals, and we just want to allow the citizens of our state an opportunity to use those,” Hanks noted.
