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Bear Hunt Set For December

    The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has formalized plans to conduct an organized hunt of the Florida Black Bear this year.  It will be the first hunt since 2015, when a single-year hunting event was held; at that time, the first year hunting bears was allowed since 1994.
    The new rules establish Bear Hunting Zones within four of the seven existing Bear Management Units. One hundred eighty-seven permits will be issued in total across the East Panhandle, North, Central and South BMUs, and each permit will allow the harvest of one bear within the assigned BHZ. Permits will be distributed through a random drawing. Those 18 years and older can apply as many times as they want for $5 per application.
    Currently, there are estimated to be 4,000 black bears in Florida.
    The hunt will be conducted from December 6 to 28.  The FWC is permitting the following harvest parameters:  68 bears can be taken from the East Panhandle region, 46 from the north region, 18 from the central region, and 55 from the south region.  Locally, the majority of the area, including the Ocala National Forest, resides in the central management area.
    Bears can be taken under the same methods allowed for deer hunting, including the use of dogs in permitted areas. This year, bears can only be taken on public lands, with proposals under consideration that could expand to private lands in 2026.
    “I am proud that Florida is joining the majority of states that manage black bears with regulated hunting,” said Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the FWC. “The components of the hunt are conservative and prioritize conservation, with a limited number of permits only being issued in the areas of the state with the largest bear populations.”
    The move to allow hunting follows months of meetings following a December 2024 meeting where FWC commissioners instructed staff to study the issue.
    The approval comes after the FWC has determined the bear population is growing at a rate to support a limited hunt.
    As one of the management tools included in the 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan, regulated hunting will allow the FWC to start managing population growth rates in areas with the largest bear subpopulations. Balancing wildlife numbers with suitable habitat keeps populations healthy. Hunting is an important and effective tool for managing wildlife populations around the world, but it is important to acknowledge that managing bear populations does not manage human-bear conflicts. Conflict prevention and bear management practices will still need to continue.
    For more information on regulated bear hunting, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit MyFWC.com/BearHunting. Tips to reduce conflicts and general information about bears are available at MyFWC.com/Bear and BearWise.org.