Since 2002, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) research data suggests that Minnesota’s black bear population decreased from about 25,000 bears to 20,000 bears. The number of bear hunting permits has been reduced the past several years to allow bear numbers to increase and provide a less-crowded hunting experience. The 2010 hunt will offer 9,500 permits in a lottery.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct a lottery for 9,500 permits spread throughout 11 permit areas for this fall’s bear hunt. The bear hunt begins Wednesday, Sept. 1, and concludes Sunday, Oct. 17 applications are due Friday, May 7, 2010.
Individuals must apply for the lottery at a license agent or the DNR License Center at 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul, by calling toll-free to 1-888-MNLicense, or online at www.mndnr.gov/rlp.
Bear licenses cost $38 for residents and $200 for nonresidents. Thebag limit is two bears in the no-quota area and one bear in all permit areas.
Applicants can find bear hunting information online at www.mndnr.gov/bear.
Since 2002, research data suggests that Minnesota’s black bear population decreased from about 25,000 bears to 20,000 bears. The number of bear hunting permits has been reduced the past several years to allow bear numbers to increase and provide a lesscrowded hunting experience.
In 2009, 17,571 people applied for 10,000 bear hunting permits. No-quota hunters purchased 2,473 permits.
Hunters harvested a total of 2,801 black bears in 2009, including 2,220 in permit areas and 581 in the no-quota area.
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