Florida kicks off first black bear hunt in a decade, despite pushback
For the first time in a decade, hunters armed with rifles and crossbows are taking to Florida’s swamps and flatwoods in a state-sanctioned hunt for the Florida black bear, despite vocal opposition from critics.
The hunt began Saturday after more than 160,000 applications were submitted for just 172 available permits. Many applications came from opponents of the hunt, who hope to limit the number of bears killed during the state’s first bear hunt since 2015.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) awarded the 172 permits by random lottery, allowing hunters to take one bear each in areas where populations are deemed sufficient. According to the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, at least 43 of these permits went to opponents who do not plan to use them, following the organization’s advice to apply in order to save bears.
The Florida black bear is considered a conservation success story, with numbers growing from just a few hundred in the 1970s to over 4,000 today. While opponents question whether the hunt is necessary, courts have allowed it to proceed.
What You Need to Know
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One bear per hunter: Each permit holder may take a single bear during the 2025 season, which runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28.
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Designated zones: Permits are valid only in one of four state-designated bear hunting zones, each with quotas based on local populations.
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Licensing requirements: Hunters must hold a valid hunting license and a bear harvest permit, costing $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents. Permit applications cost $5 each.
Mark Barton of the Florida chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a group that supported the hunt, said the regulated hunt helps fund conservation efforts and incentivizes maintaining healthy bear populations. “Having an annual hunt will help guarantee funding to keep moving conservation for bears forward,” he said.
Hunting as a Population Management Tool
State wildlife officials say the bear population has grown enough to support a regulated hunt. Hunting is seen as a widely used wildlife management tool, and the permit and application fees help fund conservation work.
“While we have enough suitable bear habitat to support our current bear population levels, if the four largest subpopulations continue to grow at current rates, we will not have enough habitat at some point in the future,” notes a bear hunting guide from the FWC.
Opponents, however, call the hunt cruel and unnecessary, arguing it serves hunters’ desire for a trophy rather than addressing the root issue: human expansion into bear habitats.
Stricter Rules Than 2015
The current hunt has tighter regulations than the 2015 event, when more than 3,700 permits were sold, leading to a chaotic hunt that was shut down early. Of the 304 bears killed in 2015, at least 38 were females with cubs, leaving young bears vulnerable.
Doug Moore, president of a local hunting club in northeast Florida, manages over 6,000 acres of timberland and supports the updated rules, even though he and his family were not awarded permits this year. He called the 2015 hunt “fouled up” but said, “they’re doing it right this time.”
Opponents Also Receive Permits
Supporters of the hunt argue that growing bear populations pose safety risks, with reports of bears rummaging through trash, porches, and playgrounds. Opponents suggest the state focus on non-lethal solutions, like better trash management.
Despite failing to stop the hunt in court, activists obtained roughly a quarter of the permits by applying for tags they do not intend to use. Joel Cleveland, an opponent who received a permit, said, “Somewhere out there a bear will be walking the grounds of the Panhandle, and I gave them a stay of execution.”
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