There’s plenty of interest in hunting Florida black bears in a first-ever hunt in a decade. This week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that they had 163,459 applications for a chance at 172 allocated permits. What’s this mean for hunters? They have about a 0.1% chance of actually getting one, according to Spectrum News 13.

There are four bear hunting zones: East Panhandle Zone, North Zone, South Zone and Central Zone. Each one has been allocated a different number of permits, making the odds of getting one different depending on which one that applicant applied for.

In the East Panhandle Zone, there are 68 available permits, making for a 0.23% chance. The North Zone will have 31 available permits, giving applicants a 0.09% chance of getting one. In the South Zone, there are 55 available permits, making the odds for getting one a slim 0.1% and, in the Central Zone, the odds are dismal with a whopping 18 permits available, making an applicant’s chances a tough one at 0.03%.

The upside is that the cost to apply was cheap – only $5 per application – and the bear hunt application process gave the state $817,295 in funds, which will be used toward conservation projects. 

Anyone lucky enough to draw will need to pay $100 for the black bear permit if a resident; $300 for anyone who’s a nonresident. All lucky hunters will be notified by email if they’ve been selected and have until Oct. 6 to claim their permit.

The Florida black bear hunting season will run from Dec. 6 to 28 in all four zones.