A 54-year-old Army veteran just harvested one of the biggest black bears in Louisiana state history. Born and raised in the Sportsman’s Paradise, Deron Santiny thought he’d seen “just about everything” among Louisiana’s varied hunting and fishing opportunities. But then came Dec. 17, when Santiny watched a 696-pound black bear saunter out of the Tensas Parish woods and into the line of sight of his rifle.
“He came out, he looked like a Volkswagen Beetle coming out of the woods he was so big,’’ said Santiny, a Purple Heart recipient for injuries he endured while serving in Iraq in 2005. “I just sat there. When he put his head down, I turned around and grabbed the rifle and the rest is history.’’
Santiny, seated nearby in a deer stand, was one of just 11 people to receive a Louisiana hunting license for black bears in 2024. It’s the first state-managed bear hunt in over 35 years, and also the first-ever bear hunt for Santiny.
He scored the rare hunting opportunity through the Healing Road Foundation, which provides outdoor experiences to veterans and their families. While most of the 11 tags went to private landowners who helped repopulate the bears through a lottery system, a single one went to the Healing Road Foundation. It picked Santiny for the privilege.
“Like Deron, I grew up hunting and fishing in Louisiana and I can only imagine the thrill he had when he saw that magnificent bear,’’ Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement. “To harvest what could be the biggest one in state history makes his story even better. And I’d like to thank the LDWF team and Healing Road Foundation for supporting our Louisiana veterans and bringing back this hunting tradition.”
A Record Black Bear?
Santiny, who grew up in Grand Isle and now lives in Lafayette, may have landed the biggest recorded black bear in the history of official state hunts.
The hunt, administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), ran from Dec. 7 to 22, 2024. A total of 10 bears — eight males and two females — were harvested, officials said. Santiny’s bear is likely in its late teens or early 20s.
LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager John Hanks said it’s the largest bear he’s ever seen in Louisiana. It’s even larger than a 608-pound bear that was killed in a vehicle accident. In general, adult male black bears generally grow to 450-550 pounds in Louisiana. The bear will be measured after the 60-day waiting period for Boone and Crockett scoring.
“We began the process of bringing back the Louisiana black bear from near extinction more than 30 years ago, and this year’s harvest is another step in showing how successful we’ve been in that,” LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan said. “We are proud to give hunters and future hunters a chance to harvest a species once enjoyed by those who came before us. It’s a true testament to the importance of collaborative conservation.”
All black bear lottery fees and license revenue will be reinvested directly into the Louisiana Black Bear Program, wildlife officials said. These funds will assist biologists in various bear management operations, including monitoring, habitat restoration, public education and population management.
More than 1,200 black bears currently live within the state’s borders and are managed through the wildlife department, according to the LDWF. Thanks to thousands of acres of restored habitat throughout Louisiana, that number “grows every year,” officials said.
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