Despite emotional pleas from animal-rights advocates, Florida wildlife officials on Wednesday approved a 23-day black bear hunt in December that could result in up to 187 bears being killed. It will be the state’s first sanctioned bear hunt in more than a decade.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to adopt final rules for the hunt during a packed meeting in Havana that drew hunters wearing orange shirts and opponents wearing black shirts. The room was standing room only, with advocates arriving early to claim chairs, according to Laurie Hood, founder of Alaqua Animal Rescue in Walton County and a vocal opponent of the plan.
Under the approved rules, the hunt will take place Dec. 6-28 in four regions: the Apalachicola region west of Tallahassee, an area west of Jacksonville, a region north of Orlando, and the Big Cypress area southwest of Lake Okeechobee. Quotas are set at 68 bears in Apalachicola, 46 in the Jacksonville-area zone, 18 north of Orlando, and 55 in Big Cypress.
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The limits are based on a formula that uses population estimates, mortality data, and growth rates in the state’s largest bear subpopulations. FWC biologists say Florida’s black bear population has been stable or growing, with statewide numbers estimated at 4,050 in the most recent abundance survey in 2015.
Permit lottery to control participation
Hunters will have to enter a random drawing to obtain a bear permit. The application fee is $5 per entry, and there is no cap on the number of entries per person. Winners can purchase only one permit each. Florida residents will pay $100, while nonresidents will be charged $300, and no more than 10% of permits will go to out-of-state hunters.
Permit holders may take one bear weighing at least 100 pounds; cubs and females with cubs are off limits. Bears may be hunted with the same methods allowed for deer, and the hunt will coincide with denning periods in hopes of reducing the take of females. All harvested bears must be tagged immediately and reported within 24 hours so biological data can be collected.
Supporters cite rising encounters
Hunting advocates said the plan will help manage growing bear populations and reduce human-bear conflicts in some areas.
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Supporters of the hunt, including Jason Smith, pointed to increased interactions between bears and residents.
“I’ve seen how these bears impact us,” Smith said. “They have completely skyrocketed. It used to be, when I was a kid, you didn’t see very many bears. Now they are all over the place. They are in our yard all of the time.”
Opponents question data, ethics
Opponents, including animal welfare and conservation groups, argue that Florida should prioritize non-lethal conflict management and that some population data is outdated. Many cited the 2015 hunt, in which hunters killed 304 bears in two days before the season was shut down, as evidence of the risks.
Hood, whose rescue organization is based in Northwest Florida, said the commission disregarded the public’s will.
“Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission chose cruelty over conservation,” Hood told WUWF. “They ignored the overwhelming voices of Floridians who traveled across this state asking them to protect our bears. By approving baiting, hounding, and other inhumane methods, they’ve sent a message that wildlife is expendable for sport. This decision will outlive every person in that room, and I fear our children will inherit a Florida where black bears no longer roam the wild, only the pages of history books.”
FWC officials counter that the new hunt is designed to be more conservative, with smaller quotas, stricter reporting, and a lottery-based permitting system to control participation.
The rules take effect Sept. 1, and permit applications will open later this year. Quotas will be re-evaluated annually using updated population and mortality data.
