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9h ago

Florida Concludes First Black Bear Hunt Since 2015 as State Withholds Kill Tally

Advocates question transparency ahead of an August trial over the hunt.

Donald Register, of Lake City, holds a sign in support of a bear hunt while attending a public meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on May 21 at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, where commissioners presented and discussed proposed rules to reinstate a limited-entry black bear hunt—the first since 2015.
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Overview

  • The three-week season ran Dec. 6–28, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it is still compiling harvest data with no totals released yet.
  • FWC limited the hunt to 172 lottery permits, with each permit allowing one bear, setting the maximum possible take at 172.
  • The state reported about 163,000 applications at $5 each, and advocates say opponents entered the lottery to reduce kills, with as many as 50 permit-holders reportedly opting not to hunt.
  • Bear Warriors United offered $2,000 to permit holders to forgo hunting, and the group says at least 37 people inquired about the offer.
  • Supporters cite data indicating the bear population can sustain a limited hunt, while critics point to 2015 outcomes and warn that measured hunter success could drive higher future quotas.