Louisiana To Hold First Black Bear Season In Decades

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt made a trip to Louisiana for business purposes, but the avid hunter decided to work in a hunt of the renown Louisiana Black Bear while here.

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According to boone-crockett.org, the President's refusal to take the bear in the fashion that his guide wanted ultimately led to a national story about our fearless leader and the creation of the "Teddy Bear."  Most never knew that that the stuffed toy originated in Louisiana.

However, the population of the once prolific Louisiana black bear began to deteriorate so quickly, that it was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders to monitor black bear population numbers, restore black bear habitat, and protect the subspecies for the long term, the Louisiana black bear has now recovered and was removed from the list in 2016.

However, some would argue that the Louisiana black bear population has escalated to the point that "Teddy's Bear" has once again begun to be problematic.  With that, a growing constituency for the return of a "Black Bear hunting season" was gaining a foothold in Louisiana and over the weekend we read in a Facebook post from Louisiana State Senator Stewart Cathey Jr. of Monroe,

Yesterday, I had the privilege of addressing the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission regarding the need for a Bear Season. Last year, I had legislation to create the season, but due to legal challenges did not run the bill. Instead I chose to work with the LDWF as we establish the rules and regulations for the season. As a result of this partnership, I am proud to announce that we will begin bear season in 2024. The Black Bear has become a nuisance in many parts of the state and disrupted hunters and farmers. I am excited to have played a part in this new season and look forward to next season!

While no details have been released regarding the impending 2024 Louisiana black bear season, which parishes will be included, proposed dates, intended harvest rates, etc., we do know that it will be some form of "lottery style" hunt and we will get more information in the coming months of how hunters can apply to be included in the lottery draw.