Maryland opens 2024 black bear hunt lottery

The Maryland 2024 black bear hunt lottery is accepting entries for the state’s annual six-day hunt.

This year’s hunt is scheduled for Oct. 21-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties.

Hunters can purchase applications for $15 from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources online , via a license agent, or by calling 866-344-8889 until Aug. 31.

After this deadline, hunters can visit the DNR black bear hunt website on Sept. 4 to check if their lottery application has been selected.

Maryland’s black bear hunting season operates without a quota, and hunters are not obligated to check in daily.

Each hunter may harvest only one black bear for the entire season, with shooting hours extending from 30 minutes before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

After years of research and population monitoring, the state’s DNR decided to reinstate black bear hunting in western Maryland in 2004, marking the state’s first season in 51 years.

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That year, 200 bear hunting permits were issued as part of efforts to manage the expanding black bear population in the state.

In 2023, 950 hunting permits were issued, and hunters harvested 103 bears during the 20th season.​