Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries opens black bear hunting lottery for 2025 season – KNOE

MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Black bear hunting season is around the corner in Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) officials have announced that the lottery application process to get hunting permits for 2025 is now open on their website.
Large Carnivore Program Manager for LDWF John Hanks said, “We had black bear hunting historically for decades and decades. Just hundreds of years ago, they were hunting black bears here.”
The Louisiana black bear was under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, according to the LDWF.
Hanks said the department’s goal for the state’s black bear, once considered a threatened species, has always been the recovery of its population to a hunting status.
They have reached that mark, said Hanks.
Reaching that goal is what has made this limited, conservative hunt possible, said Hanks. “It’s not like everyone gets to go buy a license. It’s a very controlled, lottery-type thing.”
Last year marked the first black bear hunting season in Louisiana since 1992.
Black bear hunters seeking one of this year’s permits must register for the permit lottery on the LDWF website, with no guarantee that they will receive one.
This is because the recipients of the 25 permits available will be chosen through a randomized lottery system.
The lottery application opened on the LWDF website on Monday, July 28, and will remain available until August 28. Those selected will be notified by email on August 29.
According to LDWF, the basis for the number of tags issued for each year is the current population data for a species.
The number of adult female bears that can be safely harvested without disrupting long-term recovery is especially important each year to the LDWF’s determination of how many tags to issue.
The LDWF says in order to apply for their black bear lottery, residents of the state must visit the LDWF website and create an account. The same online portal is used for all LDWF species lotteries, including deer, turkey, and alligator hunts.
The cost to apply for a black bear hunting permit this year is $50.
Applicants must be a Louisiana resident who is ten years of age or more. They must possess a black bear license in order to apply for the General or WMA black bear lotteries.
Preference points will be awarded to applicants who were not selected in last year’s Bear Area 4 lotteries. This increases the applicant’s odds of being drawn this year.
Wildlife officials at the LDWF say that the 2025 hunting season is designed to have minimal impact on the bear population while still providing Louisiana hunters with what they describe as a rare opportunity.
For more information, visit the LDWF website.
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