Mark your calendars! The highly-anticipated 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 will open to state hunters beginning 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁. 𝟮𝟱.

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 but thanks to the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders the Louisiana black bear has now recovered and was removed from the list in 2016. 

The black bear hunting season will take place from December 7-22, 2024, in Bear Management Area 4, covering Tensas, Madison, East Carroll, West Carroll, and parts of Richland, Franklin, and Catahoula parishes.

A total of 10 permits will be issued for the 2024 lottery. Bear harvest permits will consist of three types: Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Private Landowner, and General.

Possession of a valid black bear hunting license is required to apply for the General and the WMA Black Bear Lottery. Successful applicants will also need to complete an LDWF bear hunter-training course that will take place on November 2 or November 14 (LDWF encourages attendance on the November 2 course if possible).

Don’t miss your chance to participate in this exciting opportunity. 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. For full details, go to: https://buff.ly/3T4ArPU

Lottery Application Requirements