On Saturday, December 6, the state of Florida officially began a regulated black bear hunting season for the first time since 2015.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) awarded 172 hunting permits by random lottery, drawn from 163,459 applications submitted statewide. Each permit allows the holder to harvest one bear in one of four designated bear-harvest zones.
The hunt runs from December 6 through December 28. FWC officials say the decision responds to a rebound in the statewide black bear population, which is estimated at around 4,000 bears, up from just a few hundred in the 1970s after years of protection.
Still, the hunt has sparked strong opposition from wildlife conservation groups and animal welfare advocates, who argue that a cull is unnecessary and that non-lethal management should be prioritized.
As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on how many bears are harvested, whether quotas are met, and how the hunt impacts bear populations. At the same time, the broader debate continues over the balance between wildlife management and conservation in Florida.