The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife black bear permit lottery application period will open on September 15 and remain open until 11:59 p.m on October 15. Application for permits can be made online at https://nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales or at license agents. A total of 10,000 black bear hunting permits, allocated by black bear hunting areas, will be available to properly licensed hunters and farmer hunters. Only hunters with a current, valid NJ firearm license may apply. There is a non-refundable application fee of $2.00 per lottery.

There will be two lotteries this year; an initial permit lottery and a secondary/leftover permit lottery. Black bear hunters have the option of applying for a second permit in the secondary/leftover permit lottery, however the second application can not be for the same black bear hunting area. Only two applications may be submitted per individual: one application for the initial permit lottery and if desired, one application for a different bear management area for the secondary/leftover permit lottery. Only one bear may be taken, regardless of the number of permits one possesses.

Award notifications and the permit pick-up period begin on October 24, 2011. Permits awarded in the lottery must be claimed prior to 11:59 P.M. on Sunday, November 13, 2011. Any leftover and unclaimed permits will be returned to the pool of available permits and sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 at https://nj.aspirafocus.com/internetsales or at license agents. (Leftover permit availability will be posted on the online license website by the end of the day on Tuesday, November 15, 2011.) A current NJ Firearm or All-around Hunting License will be required to purchase a leftover permit. Sales will continue until the season ends or the permit quota is reached.

NOTE: It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that the application was made for the correct area and/or that the permit was purchased for the correct area. Please check all applications prior to leaving an agent location. Applications for all permits can be reviewed, and edited if wanted, on the license website. Once the permit application period closes the application cannot be changed. All permit sales are final, with no exceptions.