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3w ago

Judge Denies Bid to Halt Florida Bear Hunt, Clearing Way for Dec. 6–28 Season

The ruling keeps a 172-permit, zone-limited hunt on track despite challenges to the wildlife agency’s science.

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Animal Rights Foundation of Florida rally peacefully protesting against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s proposal to hunt the Florida black bear in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, May 17, 2025. During the black bear trophy hunt, there will be no check stations, no oversight, no enforcement, and no one keeping track of the number of bears being killed.(Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)
A Florida Black Bear raids a overturned garage can December 20, 2016 in a Seminole County neighborhood. (Red Huber/Staff Photographer)
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Overview

  • Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey rejected Bear Warriors United’s request for a temporary injunction, saying the group failed to show a substantial likelihood of success.
  • The lawsuit remains active, with a hearing on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s motion to dismiss set for Dec. 15 during the hunting season.
  • FWC issued 172 lottery-based permits, each allowing one bear, across four regions for a season running Dec. 6–28 after reducing the permit count from an initial 187.
  • State officials estimate roughly 4,000 black bears in Florida and say the rules are conservative, including December timing intended to reduce female mortality.
  • Opponents say they secured dozens of permits that will go unused — reported at roughly 44 to 52 — to cut the actual number of bears killed, and they cite the 2015 hunt’s 304 kills in two days as cautionary context.