Florida is moving forward with its first regulated black bear hunt in a decade, and animal rights groups are responding in an interesting way.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved a 23-day hunt from December 6 to 28 in four regions of the state, issuing 187 permits through a lottery system. Each permit allows one bear to be taken, and the agency says the quotas are designed to control the number of females killed and to keep the hunt sustainable. Permit applications opened September 12 and run through September 22.
Wildlife officials argue the hunt is necessary because Florida’s black bear population, now estimated at more than 4,000, has rebounded strongly, and human–bear encounters have increased. They say a limited, closely managed harvest will help balance conservation goals with public safety and property concerns. Critics counter that the science is outdated and that non-lethal measures should be prioritized. Memories of the 2015 hunt, which ended early after hundreds of bears were killed in two days, continue to shape public skepticism about the process.
In an innovative tactic, some animal rights organizations (like the Sierra Club and Speak Up Wekiva) are encouraging their supporters to apply for permits with no intention of using them. By “holding” unused permits, they hope to reduce the number of active hunters and the total number of bears killed. They also argue the hunt reflects political pressure rather than sound wildlife management. Conservation groups worry that if too many females are taken or quotas adjusted, the state could reverse decades of recovery for the species.
The permit application window is open September 12-22. People aged 18+ with a hunting license can enter the lottery. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must complete a Florida-approved Hunter Safety Course before buying a hunting license. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) runs these courses online and in person; they cover firearms handling, wildlife identification, and state hunting laws. People born before that date are exempt from the course requirement.
