US EditionFlorida’s first black bear hunt in a decade approved despite strong opposition
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans a lottery permit system allowing up to 187 bears to be hunted annually to address population and safety concerns.
- On Wednesday in Havana, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 5-0 to approve a regulated bear hunting season starting December 2025.
- Facing a growing population and rising bear-human contact incidents, FWC reports there are more than 4,000 black bears in the state and at least 42 encounters since 2006.
- The hunt would remove up to 187 bears via lottery permits, with participants applying online and paying a $5 application fee across four designated zones.
- Over 10,000 public comments and more than 160 speakers highlighted deep divisions at Wednesday's Havana meeting, with at least 100 from Tampa, Orlando and Daytona Beach opposing the hunt.
- The rules set a 23-day hunt in December and enable hunting dogs starting in 2027 alongside archery and baiting stations.
61 Articles
61 Articles
By Gordon Ebanks, CNN For the first time in a decade, Floridans will be able to legally hunt black bears in the state. The bill was unanimously approved by the state's Fish Conservation and Wildlife Commission this month, but not without opposition from some conservationist and animal rights groups. This followed the approval, by an overwhelming majority, of a state amendment last November that enshrined the right to fish and hunt in the Florida…
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Florida allows black bear hunting for the first time in a decade
(CNN) — For the first time in a decade, Floridians will be legally allowed to hunt black bears in the state.
Florida approves first bear hunt since 2015, as some raise concerns
Florida will hold its first black bear hunt in a decade this December under a new rule approved by state wildlife officials on Wednesday. The announcement comes despite criticism from animal welfare advocates over its allowance of dogs and bait. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously approved the measure following a public hearing in the panhandle of the state. Unanimous approval The hearing drew more than 150 people …
Controversial Bear Hunt Gets Go-Ahead
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida HAVANA — Despite pleas from animal-rights advocates, Florida wildlife officials on Wednesday approved holding a 23-day bear hunt in December that could lead to 187 bears being killed. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rules for the state’s first bear hunt in more than a decade. The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obt…
Florida approves first bear hunt in 10 years as population grows and human encounters increase
Florida wildlife officials have approved the state's first bear hunting season in a decade as the black bear population continues to grow and encounters with humans increase.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to open a 23-day hunt in December after determining the bear population has more than tripled since the 1990s, CBS News reported. The bear population has grown from around 1,200 in the 1990s to more than 4,000 today…
FWC Give Final Approval For Florida Black Bear Hunt (But Not In Escambia, Santa Rosa) : NorthEscambia.com
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has given final approval for black bear hunting in Florida. The new rules establish Bear Hunting Zones (BHZ) within four of the seven existing Bear Management Units. FWC said 187 total permits will be issued through a random drawing across the east Panhandle, North, Central and South BMUs, [...]
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