After months of undeserved public backlash, online petitions, and national headlines, Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade is officially set to begin this December.
In a unanimous vote earlier this year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved the 2025 bear hunting season, allowing 187 permits to be issued by lottery. The move marks the first legal opportunity to hunt black bears in the state since the 2015 season, which was cut short after hunters killed over 300 bears in just two days.
“We make decisions based on science,” said commission chair Rodney Barreto during the packed public hearing in Havana, Florida, where 168 people turned out to voice their support or opposition. The data shows Florida’s black bear population is strong and growing, and this highly regulated hunt is simply a responsible management tool.
According to state biologists, Florida is home to approximately 4,000 black bears, with strong populations in regions like the Big Bend, Panhandle, and central Florida. But as urban sprawl continues to push into bear habitat, reports of nuisance bears are on the rise.
Hunters, especially those in rural counties, see the hunt as long overdue. Strict rules have been implemented like no cubs or females with cubs can be taken. Hunters must report all harvests. And the use of dogs and baiting is prohibited in 2025 (though both may be allowed in future seasons).
“The reality is that the frequency and severity of bear interactions continues to rise,” said Ottice Amison, a Franklin County Commissioner. “Right now, too many of our residents see bears as threats and pests.”
Despite strong evidence in favor of the hunt, emotions still got the best of some Floridians and the anti-hunting crowd.
A Symbolic Battle Over Wildlife Management
Groups like the Sierra Club and Bear Defenders fought hard to derail the hunt, urging their supporters to apply for hunting permits with no intention of using them. The idea was to clog the system with anti-hunters and reduce the number of bears actually killed.
More than 163,000 applications were submitted for the 187 available permits, but it’s unclear how many came from protestors. Still, wildlife officials say that if permit holders don’t participate, the hunt’s success rate will drop, resulting in more permits being issued next year.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Florida anti-hunting protestor Steve Rosen estimated that about 39 of the 172 available permits—roughly 23 percent—were awarded to people opposed to hunting. Rosen reportedly spent around $200,000 of his own money entering the lottery, which, at $5 per ticket, amounts to about 40,000 entries. In total, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received 163,459 applications before the lottery closed on September 22.
In addition, online petitions gathered tens of thousands of signatures, environmental groups flooded public comment inboxes, and national outlets like The Guardian even described the vote as a “barbaric” rollback of protections for a species still recovering from habitat loss and roadkill fatalities.
But for the hunting community, the outrage simply feels over the top and shortsighted.
“Nothing in the wild dies of old age,” wrote one Florida hunter on Facebook. “Selective harvesting promotes healthier populations.”
Another added, “If the antis want to buy up tags and sit out the season, go for it. They’re just funding conservation in the process.”
Critics, meanwhile, view the hunt as political. “By our involvement in this lottery, bear lives will be saved. We won’t say how many until all the unused tags are turned in two weeks after the hunt ends,” said Chuck O’Neal of Speak Up for Wildlife. “There are now thousands of animal advocates within FWCs database of licensed hunters who receive surveys on new hunting rules. That impact will be felt for decades.”
Looking Ahead
The 2025 hunt will run from December 6 through December 28 in four designated Bear Management Units. Permits cost $100 for Florida residents and $300 for nonresidents. Each hunter is limited to one bear.
State officials say this year’s hunt will serve as a test case for future seasons.
The opposition should keep in mind that if the data shows the population can support it, and if public conflict continues to rise, there’s a fair chance the hunt could expand in both size and scope.
