Bear Hunt Permit Application Deadline

[HD]

Bear hunt permit application deadline is May 1st

Applications for this fall’s black bear hunt now are available at any of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) 1,650 license agents or online.

Hunters interested in the Sept. 1 - Oct. 18 hunt can apply for one of 10,000 available licenses spread across 11 permit areas. Applications are due May 1. Hunters picked in the lottery must pay $38 for a resident license and $200 for a non-resident license.

In 2008, 17,362 applicants applied for 11,850 permits. Hunters harvested a total of 2,135 bears.

“Issuing fewer permits this year reflects the DNR’s interest in moderately increasing the black bear population,” said Dan Stark, wolf management specialist.

A number of factors are suggesting a declining population. Hunters must submit teeth from harvested bears. DNR wildlife researchers have determined that those teeth are from a younger class of bears. In addition, the hunter success rate is declining and there are fewer nuisance bear complaints.

Bear licenses for the no-quota area, which is the area outside of the 11 permit areas, can be purchased directly at any license agent beginning July 1. No previous application is necessary to buy a no-quota area license.  The bag limit remains at two bears in the no-quota area and one bear in all quota permit areas.

Interested applicants can find more bear hunting information online.

[tuna]

i know i will be applying . just like i have for the last 15 years.