Bear Hunt Application Are Now Available

Um, not for me, but I know ALOT of people that dig hunting bear.  My friend Brenda in Esko is AWESOME at hunting bear and she uses a bow, NOT a rifle.  SCARY!

If you are into bear hunting the DNR just opened their application process this week, you have until May 4 to apply.

Is bear REALLY tasty?  What do you make, Bear Stir Fry?  Bear Cordon Bleu, Swedish Bearballs?

Applications for this fall's bear hunt will be accepted until Friday, May 4, at any Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) license agent and online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense. They also are available at the DNR License Center in St. Paul or by phone at 888-665-4236.

A total of 6,000 licenses are available in 11 permit areas. This year's bear hunt will run from Sunday, Sept. 1, to Sunday, Oct. 14.  Hunters selected in the annual lottery must purchase their licenses by Wednesday, Aug. 1, so licenses that aren't purchased can be made available to other hunters. After this year's Aug. 1 deadline, any eligible hunter may purchase any remaining licenses starting at noon, Monday, Aug. 6.

In 2011, hunters purchased 5,684 licenses by the deadline. Those hunters were chosen from a pool of 19,170 applicants for the available 7,050 permit area licenses. The remaining 1,336 permits were sold after the deadline passed. Hunters harvested a total of 2,131 bears.

Bear licenses cost $38 for residents and $200 for nonresidents. The bag limit is two bears in the no-quota area and one bear in all quota permit areas.

Complete information on the fall bear hunt is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/bear.

Info via:  MN DNR Press Release,  Steve Merchant, wildlife population/regulation program mgr