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   Prospective bear hunters have until Friday, May 5, to apply for a bear hunting license from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Applications for the 2023 season can be submitted online, at any license agent or by telephone at 888-665-4236.

    A total of 4,035 licenses are available in 14 permit areas for the 2023 season, which opens Friday, Sept. 1, and closes Sunday, Oct. 15.

   Lottery winners will be notified by Thursday, June 1. The deadline to purchase bear hunting licenses awarded by lottery is Tuesday, Aug. 1. Any remaining unpurchased licenses will be available over the counter starting at noon Friday, Aug. 4.

   An unlimited number of bear licenses also will be sold over the counter for the no-quota area that includes east-central and far northwestern Minnesota. No-quota licenses are valid only in the no-quota area.

   Hunters with either a quota or no-quota license who are interested in taking a problem bear should contact the area DNR wildlife manager in the area(s) of interest (mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife) to be added to the hunter contact list for any potential opportunities.

   Complete instructions about how to apply for a license, maps of permit areas and a listing of permit availability for each area are available on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/hunting/bear).

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