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yesterday

Conservationists Sue to Block Florida’s December Bear Hunt as FWC Cuts Quota

The case centers on claims the wildlife agency relied on outdated science.

FILE - Marion County sheriff Billy Woods is seen speaking on a monitor during a Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission hearing about proposed bear hunting, May 21, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
Animal rights activists and others opposed to Florida's proposed bear hunt, pictured at a rally at Orlando's Lake Eola Park in May, have likely helped swell the number of applications for a bear-hunting tag to more than 80,000 through Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. Opponents hope to win the 172 permits the state is distributing through a lottery and keep them out of the hands of hunters. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)
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Overview

  • Bear Warriors United filed a Leon County circuit court lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the Dec. 6 hunt, after withdrawing an earlier administrative complaint.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a 23-day season by unanimous vote, with plans allowing dogs and baited locations, and the agency declined to comment on the litigation.
  • FWC reduced the harvest cap by 15 to 172 tags, citing other known mortality in the north hunting zone, with permits issued via a $5 paid lottery that awards one tag per winner for one bear.
  • Officials reported 82,787 lottery applications by Wednesday, with the application window set to close Sept. 22.
  • State estimates put Florida’s black bear population near 4,000; supporters cite recovered numbers and rising conflicts, while opponents point to a 2015 hunt that ended early after 300-plus kills, including at least 38 lactating females.