Florida Approves Controversial Black Bear Hunt Amid Public Outcry

Florida Approves Controversial Black Bear Hunt Amid Public Outcry

The recent approval of a black bear hunting season in Florida has sparked conversations and controversy across the state. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously—5-0—to initiate a hunting season that will run for 23 days in December, marking the first bear hunt in a decade. The proposed dates for this highly discussed season are December 6-28, 2025, with a quota set at 187 bears across 31 counties. This initiative is intended to address the increasing occurrences of bears wandering into residential areas, a situation described by Franklin County Commissioner Ottice Amison as making bears “pests and threats” in communities.

Public sentiment surrounding the hunt has been notably divided. During the FWC meeting, testimony from the community showcased nearly equal numbers of supporters and opponents. While some local officials, including county commissioners and sheriffs from Gulf, Liberty, Jackson, Bay, and Franklin Counties, have endorsed the hunt, claiming a need to control the bear population as it poses safety risks, dissenters like Marsha Biggs argue that there is no scientific evidence to support claims of overpopulation and call the hunt unnecessary and cruel. This schism reflects the ongoing debate about wildlife management in Florida.

Regulatory Framework and Historical Context

The FWC’s decision comes on the heels of rising nuisance bear calls, which jumped from 2,000 in 2016 to over 6,000 in 2024. The commission plans to issue 187 permits for the hunt, allowing one bear to be harvested per permit from four designated bear management units (BMUs). To participate, hunters must pay a $5 application fee, followed by $100 for Florida residents and $300 for out-of-state hunters if selected. Moreover, hunters will be allowed to use a variety of firearms and archery equipment to carry out this hunt, with strict regulations that require notification within 24 hours of harvesting a bear, alongside proper tagging for transportation.

This upcoming hunt takes place against a backdrop of historical context. The recovery of the Florida black bear population—from merely a few hundred in the 1970s to an estimated 4,000 bears today—has been hailed as a conservation success by the FWC, which removed the species from the State-designated Threatened Species list in June 2012. Nonetheless, the previous bear hunt in 2015 saw a rapid request for hunting permits lead to a tragic outcome, with 295 bears being killed in only two days, which included lactating mothers and cubs. This prompted a reevaluation of how to manage human-bear interactions, emphasizing non-lethal strategies like education and bear-proof trash cans as preferable alternatives to hunting.

The Path Forward

As the state gears up for this controversial hunting season, the FWC is also facing challenges posed by wildlife advocacy groups like Bear Warriors United, which has filed an administrative challenge against the hunt. Conservationists are calling for expanded measures that would improve human-bear coexistence rather than allowing hunting, asserting that there are more humane approaches to dealing with the rising number of bear sightings.

Ultimately, the upcoming bear hunt in December serves not only as an opportunity for regulation and control but also as a point of contention regarding wildlife management strategies in Florida. With opinions sharply divided and advocates pushing for various methods to address the human-bear conflict, the FWC will have to navigate a careful balance moving forward. This reflects a broader dilemma concerning how best to coexist with Florida’s wildlife while ensuring the safety and security of its residents.

For more detailed information about the bear hunt and regulations, visit the Tallahassee Democrat, FWC, and Florida Animal Rights Network.