Eric Hellgren

Stories

Florida’s black bear hunt returns: science, politics and a once–threatened species

Independent scientist generally supportive of regulated hunt

Florida launched a state-sanctioned black bear hunt on December 6, 2025, the first since 2015. The state allowed 172 lottery-selected permit holders to kill one bear each across four hunting zones. Only 52 bears were harvested by season's end on December 28, per FWC data released December 29.

Updated May 10

Notable Quotes

Hellgren has argued that while bear attacks remain rare, a regulated hunt can “ultimately reduce the amount of human-bear conflict” by slightly lowering densities in conflict‑prone areas, provided quotas stay low.([alligator.org](https://www.alligator.org/article/2025/10/florida-prepares-for-first-black-bear-hunt-in-a-decade?utm_source=openai))

from Florida’s black bear hunt returns: science, politics and a once–threatened species · Updated May 10