Florida wildlife officials have signed off on a December black bear hunt — the state’s first in 10 years — despite public polling, protests and a pending legal challenge warning it’s unnecessary and inhumane.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously to approve rules for the state’s first black bear hunting season since 2015, setting off a wave of controversy from wildlife advocates.
The decision authorizes a 23-day hunt from Dec. 6-28 in four designated “bear management units” across 31 counties. A total of 187 permits will be issued by lottery — 68 for the East Panhandle, 46 for North Florida, 18 for Central Florida and 55 for the South — with each allowing the harvest of one bear.
FWC Chair Rodney Barreto, a Miami consultant, called the hunt “conservative and prioritized toward conservation,” saying the permit caps target areas with the largest bear populations.
Agency officials cited the 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan, which lists regulated hunting as a population management tool. They pointed to a sharp rise in nuisance bear reports — from 2,000 in 2016 to more than 6,000 in 2024 — as evidence that bear numbers are expanding into developed areas.
Local officials from Gulf, Liberty, Jackson, Bay and Franklin counties spoke in support of the hunt ahead of the 5-0 vote Wednesday, citing property damage and public safety concerns.
Opponents argued that the FWC has not produced updated scientific data to justify the hunt, characterizing the hunt as needless and cruel and criticizing the inclusion of baiting, hounding and archery as hunting methods.
Environmental groups like Bear Defenders and Bear Warriors United organized protests in at least 11 cities last weekend and raised billboards, including one near the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee.
Bear Warriors filed a lawsuit Tuesday in anticipation of the hunt’s approval, arguing the FWC improperly delisted black bears from its threatened species list.
Public surveys have also shown strong opposition: An FWC questionnaire found 75% of more than 13,000 respondents opposed the hunt, while a Remington Research Group poll commissioned by Humane World for Animals reported 81% opposition.
Critics also point to the state’s last hunt in 2015, when a one-week season was shut down after just two days as hunters neared the quota, killing more than 300 bears, including dozens of lactating females.
Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat and environmental scientist, said that hunt remains “a black stain” on the agency and urged the FWC to focus on reducing human-bear conflicts through nonlethal methods, such as securing garbage and removing attractants.
The new rules will take effect if the FWC prevails in an administrative challenge from Bear Warriors United.
Commissioners are also set to revisit the hunt annually to set future dates and quotas, with a separate private-lands harvest program slated to begin in 2026.
Florida joins 34 other states with regulated bear hunting seasons.
Wednesday’s decision follows the enactment of a 2024 law by Tallahassee Sen. Corey Simon and Port St. Joe Republican Rep. Jason Shoaf that loosened restrictions on the use of legal force during bear encounters.
The measure passed on a 24-12 vote in the Senate, mostly along party lines. Sen. Ileana Garcia was the only Republican to vote “no,” along with 11 Democrats.
The House then approved the measure on an 83-28 vote, with Republicans mostly in favor and Democrats mostly opposed.
Applicants for the bear hunt must pay a $5 fee per entry in the random drawing. Winners will be charged $100 per resident permit or $300 per nonresident permit. Hunters may use archery equipment and a variety of firearms.
Bears taken must be tagged immediately, and harvests must be reported within 24 hours. The rules also encourage targeting males, though female bears can be hunted too.
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