HAVANA, Fla. - Florida wildlife commissioners voted unanimously to approve the Sunshine State’s first regulated black bear hunt in 10 years, setting the stage for a three-week-long season in December 2025.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 5-0 during a controversial meeting Wednesday to authorize the hunt, which will take place in areas of the state where bear population counts are considered the highest.
The decision followed months of contentious debate, with both hunters and conservationists attending a series of meetings.
Applications for the lottery-style permitting process will be open to individuals 18 and older, who pay a series of fees.
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The FWC says up to 187 bears could be harvested during the 2025 season, with hunting limited to four designated Bear Management Units.
"I am proud that Florida is joining the majority of states that manage black bears with regulated hunting," said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the FWC. "The components of the hunt are conservative and prioritize conservation, with a limited number of permits only being issued in the areas of the state with the largest bear populations."
Efforts to restore the state’s annual bear hunt began well before an 89-year-old man was killed during the spring outside of Naples during the state's first fatal attack.
Officials said the hunt will help manage bear populations, last estimated to exceed 4,000 across Florida’s 67 counties.
Conservation groups have long opposed the plan, pointing to research suggesting that the black bear population may not be as stable as data indicates.
According to the Humane World for Animals, a nonprofit organization that advocates animal welfare, Florida is now one of more than 30 states with regulated black bear hunting seasons.
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During Florida’s last hunt in 2015, more than 300 bears were killed within the first two days, prompting the early closure of the season.
Biologists SAY that black bears were nearly driven to extinction in the 1970s due to overhunting and habitat destruction, but their numbers rebounded enough to be removed from the state’s threatened species list in 2012.
While no comprehensive population survey has been conducted in recent years, advocates for the hunt point to nuisance bear reports, which have risen by more than 200% from 2016 to 2024.
Unless halted by a court as part of ongoing legal challenges, the 2025 hunt will run from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28 or until the quota is reached.
The 2027 season is expected to allow the use of hunting dogs, but the commission has not publicly released a date.
Original article source: Florida approves first black bear hunt in a decade
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