ANNAPOLIS (August 2, 2011) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting applications to participate in this year’s lottery for black bear hunting permits. Successful applicants will receive a permit for the black bear hunting season scheduled to take place October 24-29.
“Applicants have a good chance of being selected to receive a bear hunting permit as approximately 1 out of every 15 applicants was drawn in 2010,” said Harry Spiker, DNR’s game mammal section leader. “The preference point system that DNR instituted in 2007 seems to be working well- 85 percent of the applicants drawn last year had at least one preference point.”
The preference point system rewards applicants for their continued participation. For each year that a hunter applies for a bear hunting permit and is not selected, they receive one preference point. The preference points provide additional entries in future lotteries.
DNR will issue 260 bear hunting permits with a quota of 55-80 bears and will close the hunt when the quota is reached. The opportunity to hunt black bears in Maryland remains limited to Garrett and Allegany counties.
Online applications for the Maryland Black Bear Lottery will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 2 at http://blackbear.dnr.state.md.us. Phone applications will be accepted at 1-888-579-6768 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on August 22-26 ONLY.
To apply, a $15 nonrefundable application fee must be submitted via credit card, check or money order. All payments must be received by 12 p.m. on September 5. Checks and money orders should be made payable to MDDNR Black Bear and mailed to MDDNR Black Bear, P.O. Box 360, Frostburg, MD 21532.
Only one application per person will be accepted. Duplicate applications will result in disqualification and forfeiture of all fees. The lottery will be conducted September 5. Applicants will be given an Application ID number at the end of the application process, and they may check their number at http://blackbear.dnr.state.md.us after 5 p.m. to see if they were drawn in the lottery.
Applicants will again have the option to voluntarily contribute to the Black Bear Damage Reimbursement Fund when they apply for a permit. Donated funds will be used to directly reimburse Maryland farmers who have suffered agricultural damage caused by black bears. The fund was established in 1996 and has paid out more than $100,000 in eligible claims to Maryland farmers. In 2010 hunters voluntarily donated $1,820 to the fund during the lottery.
For more info, please visit: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/BlackBearGuide.asp
Follow @MDBlackBear on Twitter.
Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources