The upcoming Florida bear hunting season will see 172 permits issued through a lottery after more than 160,000 entries were purchased at $5 each.
Animal advocacy groups, including Speak Up Wekiva, the Sierra Club, and thousands of other opponents of bear hunting, have purchased lottery entries and believe they may have secured nearly 50 permits that will not be used, effectively reducing the number of bears hunted this season.
Historically, Florida’s bear hunts have been controversial. In 2015, a week-long “controlled bear hunt” was cut short after just two days when hunters killed 304 bears, nearly reaching the 320-bear quota. The hunt faced criticism due to rule violations, including killing bears under the 100-pound minimum weight and the controversial killing of a mother bear and her cubs. At the time, anyone could purchase a permit and hunt.
Florida is home to approximately 4,000 black bears, mostly in the central part of the state. Conflicts arise as habitat loss, unsecured trash, and outdoor food attract bears close to neighborhoods.
Bear Defenders criticized the hunt, saying:
“The December bear hunt in Florida is nothing short of a disgrace. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has branded it a ‘scientific, well-regulated hunt,’ yet the facts reveal otherwise: no check stations, no meaningful oversight beyond the honor system, and no additional officers in the field to enforce compliance. That is not science, nor is it conservation.”
Bear Warriors United has filed a lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court to halt the hunt. Thomas Allison, an Ocala resident, purchased over $600 worth of lottery tickets and secured a permit he does not intend to use, saying, “Every bear pulled off the kill list is a good thing.”
The hunt will take place across four regions, or “bear management units,” which include harvest zones on both public and private lands, including part of the Seminole Forest.
Questions remain about whether the FWC will increase permits next year if bear advocates continue to prevent some killings. Supporters of hunting argue that regulated hunts benefit the bear population, citing management and conservation reasons.
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