BATON ROUGE — For the first time since the 1980s, Louisiana has a black bear hunting season.

Gov. Jeff Landry and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries explained that conservation efforts have helped save the Louisiana black bear, once endangered, from extinction. The last black bear hunting season was held in 1988. 

Landry said at a news conference Monday that he felt it was about time to bring back the hunting tradition. Landry said the black bear conservation was the second time an endangered species’ population was restored to the point where it could be hunted again, the first being the American alligator.

“Because of the incredible conservation efforts, the population has rebounded and resurgent. It's considered to be a huge success story, but they're getting in the way of deer hunting,” Landry said. “Sometimes four to five black bears (show) up at one hunt on a game cam, so as you can tell, the success has gotten us to a point where it's time to harvest.”

The season started Saturday and runs through Dec. 22.

LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan also presented the first black bear hunting tag to The Healing Road Foundation, a group that provides “life-changing outdoor experiences for wounded veterans, survivors and their children in a safe, stress-free environment.”

Ten hunting tags were auctioned off, which allow hunters to kill one bear per person.