Louisiana
A select few hunters get permits for first Louisiana black bear season in decades • Louisiana Illuminator
Saturday marked the beginning of Louisiana’s new black bear hunting season, but it will probably be a while before the sport is accessible to more than a select few hunters and landowners.
Gov. Jeff Landry announced the opening of the season, which will last through Dec. 22, at a press conference Monday alongside hunting enthusiasts and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) officials. The governor pointed to the recovering population of black bears in the state, estimated at nearly 1,500, as a sign of successful conservation efforts.
“We now have so many that they’re getting in the way of deer hunting,” Landry said, alluding to claims that bears are displacing deer and competing with them for food.
The Louisiana black bear, the official state mammal, came under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Its population had dwindled to near extinction, primarily the result of deforestation and habitat destruction. The governor also cited overhunting as a factor.
Conservation efforts, including an LSU AgCenter program to reintroduce the animal in certain areas of the state, eventually increased the bear’s numbers. Their rebound prompted federal regulators to remove the Louisiana black bear from the endangered list in 2016.
Still, some conservationists and residents remain opposed to killing the bears for sport. In an effort to stop the creation of a bear hunting season, Humane Society of Louisiana executive director Jeff Dorson started a petition last year that garnered more than 38,000 signatures.
But state lawmakers continued to press the idea. Last spring, the Louisiana Legislature passed a resolution by Rep. C. Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia, to have Wildlife and Fisheries study the viability of a black bear hunting season. He introduced the proposal to help manage an uptick in reported bear encounters, particularly in the Mississippi Delta region of rural northeast Louisiana.
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission then issued a notice of intent to open the black bear hunting season with 10 permit tags for hunters. Each tag allows for the killing of one bear. The first tag went to an organization that takes military veterans hunting.
Back in January, Johnson said he expected LDWF would offer 10 tags to the public through a lottery system. On Monday, however, LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan said seven of those tags went to the private landowners who allowed the agency to use their land for the repopulation of the bears.
Among the remaining tags, only one was issued via a public lottery for hunting on state land, and another was issued through a similar lottery for hunting on private property in designated areas with the owner’s permission.
Hunters with tags are permitted to kill only adult male bears in certain parts of northeast Louisiana, including Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll parishes and portions of Richland, Franklin and Catahoula parishes.
According to the LSU AgCenter, additional Louisiana black bear populations exist in the Morganza floodway just west of Baton Rouge and in the region stretching from the lower Atchafalaya Basin near Morgan City to the Houma area. However, those areas are not open for bear hunting.
Sheahan said the agency will continue to monitor the black bear populations and, if necessary, adjust the number of hunting tags for future seasons.
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BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.
Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.
According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.
A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.
“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.
Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.
“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.
Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing
07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing
6-8-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing
3-6-7-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing
0-8-3-2-0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Louisiana
Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past
The brother of Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts — accused of raping her son’s teenage friend — is facing child sex crimes of his own.
Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, was accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years, KALB reported.
The alleged sexual abuse began when one of the victims was as young as 13, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford.
He was arrested in October.
That comes years after his big sister – ex-mayor of DeRidder, 43-year-old Misty Roberts – allegedly got hot and heavy with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a drunken party at their home.
Roberts was allegedly caught in the tryst by her own kids.
She was arrested months later, and is currently on trial for rape charges.
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