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Florida Reports 52 Bears Killed in First Hunt Since 2015

FWC calls the tightly limited, zone-based season science-driven, with a full breakdown promised after initial totals.

Arix Zalace, the director and co-writer of “The Paper Bear,” spent years following Florida black bears in the Florida Panhandle. The film premieres at the Florida Film Festival. (Courtesy of Arix Zalace)
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.
Randy Smith gives a thumbs up while helping load a bear onto a trailer Saturday morning. Smith's brother Bryan Smith of Lake County shot and killed the first bear on the opening day of Florida's bear hunt.
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Overview

  • The Dec. 6–28 season issued 172 nontransferable permits by lottery from roughly 163,000 entries, allowing one bear per permit across four zones.
  • FWC said all harvested bears were physically checked by agency staff and contractors, and a comprehensive report with detailed data will be released in the coming months.
  • Officials described the outcome as conservative and consistent with management goals, citing a statewide black bear estimate of about 4,000.
  • Opponents said dozens of critics drew permits and some offered about $2,000 to tag holders not to hunt, and they criticized the lack of live harvest updates during the season.
  • Bear Warriors United’s lawsuit challenging the hunt remains on track for an August trial in Tallahassee, and rules allow baiting now with dog-assisted hunting scheduled to begin in 2027.