BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s second black bear hunting season is in the books. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced a total of 16 bears, consisting of 10 males and six females, were harvested during the season, which ran from Dec. 6-21, 2025. LDWF issued 26 tags for the lottery hunt.
Eight bears were harvested in Bear Area 4, including the largest, which weighed in at 565 pounds. Three bears were taken in Bear Area 2, and five in Bear Area 1.
Bear Area specific population estimates and vital rate data were used to determine how many bear harvest permits LDWF issued. There were eight permits in Area 1, three in Area 2, and 15 in Area 4. Cubs and females with cubes were not legal to harvest.
“Our second bear hunting season proved to be successful and a tribute to the conservation effort of our department, private landowners, hunters and other partners who helped bring back the Louisiana black bear,’’ LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth said. “We’re pleased to give our state hunters a chance to enjoy this special season. And the lottery revenue which comes from the hunt helps to make sure the Louisiana black bear thrives.’’
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All of the black bear lottery fees and license revenue will be reinvested directly into the Louisiana Black Bear Program. The money will help LDWF biologists continue to conduct bear management operations, like live trapping and radio-collaring of bears, winter den checks, and non-invasive hair sampling to monitor range expansion.
LDWF’s first bear hunt in 35 years happened in December 2024, with 10 bears harvested.
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