One week remains to share opinions about a potential bear hunt
By Christina Andrews
April 15, 2025 at 9:27 AM CDT
Florida could see its first sanctioned black bear hunt in nearly a decade as the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) considers new proposals to manage the bear population. FWC officials have been directed to draft plans for a potential bear hunt for this December, and the agency is now collecting public comments through an online form.
Ryan Sheets of the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation told WUWF that the input link “will be live until at least April 20.”
Supporters argue regulated hunting helps control the number of black bears in Florida, citing last November’s constitutional amendment enshrining hunting rights. Florida voters passed Amendment 2 with 67.4% in favor of the measure.
Supporters also state that a hunting season would lessen bear-human conflicts. Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith said his rural community, which is part of the East Panhandle Bear Management Unit, was “being inundated and overrun by the bear population.” Smith warned that senior citizens, families, and people with pets or livestock feel unsafe, and he supports regulated hunting as a potential tool.
FWC options for when to have the hunt (1375x789, AR: 1.7427122940430926)
Opponents argue that bear encounters are primarily driven by human expansion and poor waste management, rather than overpopulation. Katrina Shadix, founder of Bear Warriors United, said that the state has “a people problem, not a bear problem.”
“One Floridian is harmed yearly by bears, compared to 600 dog attacks,” she said at a recent Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. “We need education, not hunting.”
Additionally, she said a sanctioned season is not necessary since urban sprawl is already a significant threat to bears.
“The loss of habitat is a big killer of bears already,” Shadix said. “So we won’t need to have the harvest, or more accurately described as killing, of bears because the loss of habitat, the car strikes and poaching will kill off the amount of bears that the FWC wants killed off every year.”
The 2025 proposed hunt would issue approximately 187 permits, each permit allowing the taking of one bear. That is a significant reduction from the last sanctioned hunt in 2015, which was stopped after two days when the kill count hit 304 bears, nearing the week’s quota.
FWC options for how to issue hunting permits (1480x732, AR: 2.021857923497268)
At a recent FWC meeting, Morgan Richardson, director of the Division of Hunting and Game Management, said revenue from the selling of bear-hunting permits would generate a lot of revenue for the state.
“All of those funds would go to the State Game Trust Fund, and those would be available for conservation as appropriated by the state legislature,” said Richardson. “They would give us spending authority to buy lands or to do other things to manage bears. Those funds would be available…to help offset the cost of managing bear conflicts as well as bear habitat and bear research.”
FWC options for what weapons can be used during the bear hunt. (1344x648, AR: 2.074074074074074)
The FWC’s “Options for Allowable Methods of Take” allow bow hunting, and Shadix voiced strong opposition to that practice. “There is no instant death from a bow and arrow,” she said. “It’s an act of animal cruelty, and I am vehemently opposed to bow and arrow shoots.”
Kate McFall, the Florida Director of the Humane Society, said in the same commission meeting, “It’s extremely alarming what the FWC is proposing. I’m actually horrified that the FWC is even considering all the methods of take for this possible hunt.”
The FWC is also considering these options for the regulated bear hunt. (1469x691, AR: 2.125904486251809)
Sheets said the FWC welcomes input, and “all public comments to date will be compiled for Commissioner consideration and will inform the draft proposals for May.”
Those proposals will be available for public review by May 7.
The next FWC meeting will be May 21-22 in Ocala, and the public is allowed to share their comments in person.
Ryan Sheets of the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation told WUWF that the input link “will be live until at least April 20.”
Supporters argue regulated hunting helps control the number of black bears in Florida, citing last November’s constitutional amendment enshrining hunting rights. Florida voters passed Amendment 2 with 67.4% in favor of the measure.
Supporters also state that a hunting season would lessen bear-human conflicts. Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith said his rural community, which is part of the East Panhandle Bear Management Unit, was “being inundated and overrun by the bear population.” Smith warned that senior citizens, families, and people with pets or livestock feel unsafe, and he supports regulated hunting as a potential tool.
FWC options for when to have the hunt (1375x789, AR: 1.7427122940430926)
Opponents argue that bear encounters are primarily driven by human expansion and poor waste management, rather than overpopulation. Katrina Shadix, founder of Bear Warriors United, said that the state has “a people problem, not a bear problem.”
“One Floridian is harmed yearly by bears, compared to 600 dog attacks,” she said at a recent Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. “We need education, not hunting.”
Additionally, she said a sanctioned season is not necessary since urban sprawl is already a significant threat to bears.
“The loss of habitat is a big killer of bears already,” Shadix said. “So we won’t need to have the harvest, or more accurately described as killing, of bears because the loss of habitat, the car strikes and poaching will kill off the amount of bears that the FWC wants killed off every year.”
The 2025 proposed hunt would issue approximately 187 permits, each permit allowing the taking of one bear. That is a significant reduction from the last sanctioned hunt in 2015, which was stopped after two days when the kill count hit 304 bears, nearing the week’s quota.
FWC options for how to issue hunting permits (1480x732, AR: 2.021857923497268)
At a recent FWC meeting, Morgan Richardson, director of the Division of Hunting and Game Management, said revenue from the selling of bear-hunting permits would generate a lot of revenue for the state.
“All of those funds would go to the State Game Trust Fund, and those would be available for conservation as appropriated by the state legislature,” said Richardson. “They would give us spending authority to buy lands or to do other things to manage bears. Those funds would be available…to help offset the cost of managing bear conflicts as well as bear habitat and bear research.”
FWC options for what weapons can be used during the bear hunt. (1344x648, AR: 2.074074074074074)
The FWC’s “Options for Allowable Methods of Take” allow bow hunting, and Shadix voiced strong opposition to that practice. “There is no instant death from a bow and arrow,” she said. “It’s an act of animal cruelty, and I am vehemently opposed to bow and arrow shoots.”
Kate McFall, the Florida Director of the Humane Society, said in the same commission meeting, “It’s extremely alarming what the FWC is proposing. I’m actually horrified that the FWC is even considering all the methods of take for this possible hunt.”
The FWC is also considering these options for the regulated bear hunt. (1469x691, AR: 2.125904486251809)
Sheets said the FWC welcomes input, and “all public comments to date will be compiled for Commissioner consideration and will inform the draft proposals for May.”
Those proposals will be available for public review by May 7.
The next FWC meeting will be May 21-22 in Ocala, and the public is allowed to share their comments in person.