A person may not apply more than once per season, whether as an individual or as a member of a group.
Drawings will be conducted by the department to determine those eligible to purchase a bear license within the bear quota areas.
A person whose big game hunting privileges are not suspended and, if born after December 31, 1979, has successfully completed a firearms safety course approved by the commissioner prior to the opening day of the bear season, is eligible to purchase a bear license for the no-quota area or to enter a drawing for a permit area license. All applicants who will have reached their 18th birthday by September 1 must provide a driver's license number, a Minnesota identification card number issued by the Department of Public Safety, or a 13-digit Firearms Safety Certificate number. Eligible applicants under this age who do not submit one of these numbers will be assigned a number and entered into the preference drawing.
Applications must be returned to the License Bureau. The application deadline is the first Friday of May.
Persons may apply individually or as part of a group totaling no more than four persons. Those who wish to apply as a group must submit their applications for the drawing together in one envelope. All applications in a group must be for the same permit area. The individual within a group with the lowest preference rating will determine the preference rating of the group. Either all members of the group or none will be drawn. Improperly completed applications will be rejected but will not disqualify other members of the group.
The quota of licenses or permits for a drawing may be increased to accommodate group members if the last applicant to be selected is a member of a group.
Successful applicants will receive a notice, with instructions, authorizing them to obtain a license. Successful applicants who do not purchase a license according to the instructions or who do not provide all of the requested information will be disqualified. All accumulated preference is lost upon issuance of a license.
Applicants can accumulate preference only by selecting bear quota area 99.
A person selected through the bear permit drawing must purchase the license on or before the Friday nearest July 31. Any licenses not purchased by the deadline shall be issued following the drawing procedures in subpart 2.
Minn. R. agency 158, ch. 6232, BEARS, pt. 6232.2900
Statutory Authority: MS s 14.389; 97B.405; 97B.411