BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) -- Ten lucky hunters are counting the days until Dec. 7.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Louisiana Black Bear Hunting Lottery concluded Sept. 25 with 973 total applications and 814 individual applicants entering.

Ten permits have been issued for the 2024 hunt, which will take place Dec. 7-22 in Bear Management Area 4, which includes Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll parishes and portions of Richland, Franklin and Catahoula parishes.

“Our first bear hunting lottery was a great success thanks to the many applicants who took part,’’ LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan said. “The money generated from the lottery will go to funding management and conservation of the Louisiana black bear, which will greatly help in advancing our bear management program. Now we are anxiously awaiting our Bear Hunter Training Course and the start of the season.”

A total of 649 black bear hunting licenses were sold during the process. The applications for the lottery included 357 for the private landowner lottery, 311 for the LDWF Wildlife Management Area lottery and 305 for the general lottery.

Applicants not selected will be given a preference point for each subsequent year in which they apply. Each preference point serves as an additional lottery opportunity and the points are capped at five. Successful lottery applicants are not eligible to be selected for another bear permit for two years after being drawn.

The Louisiana black bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. It was removed from the list in 2016.

For more information on the Louisiana black bear, go to the LDWF Black Bear landing page.

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