Florida’s black bear hunt returns: science, politics and a once–threatened species
Rule Changes
A decade after a chaotic 2015 season, Florida revives black bear hunting amid legal battles, lethal-force laws, and a debate over what 'science-based' wildlife management really means.
A decade after a chaotic 2015 season, Florida revives black bear hunting amid legal battles, lethal-force laws, and a debate over what 'science-based' wildlife management really means.
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.
Over 163,000 people applied for permits, with activists trying to secure and idle them. A lawsuit by Bear Warriors United failed. Of 13,000 public comments, 75% opposed the hunt.
Supporters hailed the 'conservative' results as science-based management for a population estimated at over 4,000 bears, while rising human encounters, including Florida's first fatal attack in May 2025, prompted the hunt. Opponents decried politics and outdated data and vowed further opposition, including through permit buyouts that reportedly spared dozens of bears. The FWC called the hunt a success comparable to other states, with biological data now under analysis for potential 2026 seasons.
FWC reported 52 black bears killed out of 172 permits during the December 6–28 season across four zones, a success rate similar to other states and well under the 2015 total of 304.
≈4,000
Estimated Florida black bear population
FWC estimates the once-threatened Florida black bear has rebounded from fewer than 500 animals in the 1970s to just over 4,000 today, underpinning the rationale that the population can sustain limited hunting.
304
Bears killed in 2015 hunt
The 2015 bear hunt, Florida’s first in two decades, was planned for seven days but was halted after two days when 295–304 bears were killed—near the state’s target of 320—and became a cautionary symbol for opponents.
172
2025 bear permits issued
From 163,459 applications, the FWC issued 172 permits for the December 6–28, 2025 hunt—down from an originally proposed 187—each allowing the harvest of one bear in four designated zones.
75%
Public comments opposing hunt
Roughly three-quarters of the 13,000+ public comments FWC received on the hunt opposed reopening bear hunting, highlighting a sharp divide between agency policy and public sentiment.
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FWC announced 52 black bears were harvested out of 172 permits during the December 6–28 season, calling it a success with a hunter success rate comparable to other states; biological data collection ongoing for future management.
First Florida bear hunt in a decade begins
Hunt
The 23‑day 2025 bear season opens, allowing 172 lottery‑selected hunters to take one bear each across four zones. National coverage highlights both the strong demand for permits and the unusual tactic of opponents who hold dozens of unused permits or are paid not to hunt.
November 2025
Judge refuses to halt hunt; permits remain valid
Court Ruling
Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey denies Bear Warriors United’s request for a temporary injunction, citing a lack of “substantial likelihood of success on the merits.” She notes that the 2015 hunt was found constitutional and that the 2025 framework is more conservative in quotas and timing.
October 2025
Conservation group seeks injunction; hunters’ group intervenes
Legal Action
Bear Warriors United files a motion for temporary injunction to halt the December hunt, arguing it would cause “needless destruction” of Florida’s black bears. Judge Angela Dempsey allows Safari Club International to intervene in support of the hunt.
September 2025
FWC reports over 160,000 applications for 2025 hunt
Indicator
FWC announces it has received 163,459 applications at $5 each for the December bear hunt, far exceeding the 172 permits to be issued. Activists reveal they submitted tens of thousands of entries to obtain permits they will not use, aiming to spare bears.
Bear Warriors United sues to block hunt
Legal Action
Bear Warriors United files a 15‑page lawsuit in Leon County circuit court arguing that FWC’s hunt rule violates state law, contradicts the 2019 Bear Management Plan, and relies on “obsolete” 2014–15 population estimates instead of current, peer‑reviewed science.
August 2025
Final hunt rules adopted amid accusations of ‘barbaric’ practices
Regulatory Decision
FWC unanimously adopts final rules for a Dec. 6–28, 2025 bear hunt, capping permits at 187, later reduced to 172. The rules allow baiting and, starting in 2027, hunting with dogs on large private properties. Wildlife groups denounce the decision as “barbaric” and warn it’s based on outdated population estimates.
May 2025
FWC gives preliminary approval for December 2025 bear hunt
Regulatory Decision
At a meeting in Ocala, the FWC votes 4–1 to preliminarily approve a December 2025 bear hunt lasting up to 23 days, authorizing up to 187 permits across four bear management units and allowing methods including bait, archery, and eventually hunting with hounds.
First confirmed fatal black bear attack in Florida
Incident
Eighty‑nine‑year‑old Robert Markel and his dog are killed near Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area in what FWC later confirms as the first fatal black bear attack in Florida history, highlighting rising human‑bear encounters.
June 2024
DeSantis signs HB 87, allowing residents to shoot threatening bears
Legislation
Governor Ron DeSantis signs HB 87, granting residents legal immunity if they shoot bears they reasonably perceive as threats to people, pets or property, so long as they report the shooting within 24 hours and do not keep any part of the carcass. Environmental groups warn the law will encourage unnecessary bear killings and undermines FWC’s authority.
December 2019
FWC updates Bear Management Plan without reopening hunting
Policy
FWC adopts an updated Black Bear Management Plan that emphasizes conflict‑prevention measures and notes that while future population control may be needed, the plan itself does not reopen bear hunting—fueling later claims that the 2025 hunt contradicts FWC’s own guidance.
October 2015
First bear hunt in two decades begins, then ends abruptly
Hunt
FWC launches a limited black bear hunt expected to last up to seven days, after issuing more than 3,200 permits. It halts the season after two days when 295–304 bears are killed, including many females, sparking public backlash and a de facto moratorium on further hunts.
June 2012
Florida black bear delisted from state threatened species list
Policy
FWC removes the Florida black bear from the state’s threatened species list, citing recovery from a low of a few hundred animals in the 1970s to thousands statewide, and adopts the first Black Bear Management Plan creating seven bear management units.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
2003–2023 (multiple cycles)
New Jersey’s Repeated Suspension and Reinstatement of Black Bear Hunts
New Jersey revived black bear hunting in 2003 after a 30‑year hiatus, then suspended and reinstated hunts multiple times under different governors. Democrat Phil Murphy campaigned on ending the hunt and in 2018 used executive authority to bar hunting on state lands; later, amid rising reported bear incidents, his administration approved emergency rules and a new Comprehensive Black Bear Management Plan in 2022 that reinstated regulated hunts with restrictions on cubs and baiting.
Then
Bear hunts resumed with new limits and a stated blend of lethal and non‑lethal strategies, despite continuing protests and litigation threats from animal‑rights advocates.
Now
New Jersey’s experience shows that bear policy can swing with political leadership and public pressure, but tends to settle into a hybrid model: periodic hunts justified as safety measures, tempered by tighter rules and investments in non‑lethal conflict reduction.
Why this matters now
Florida’s fight mirrors New Jersey’s, suggesting that even after a high‑profile suspension (Florida’s post‑2015 moratorium), hunting can return under a new political coalition, and that future administrations might again reverse course or modify the balance between lethal and non‑lethal management.
2 of 3
2007–2018
Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Delisting and Blocked Trophy Hunts
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service twice removed Endangered Species Act protections from grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, arguing that populations had recovered, enabling Wyoming and Idaho to schedule limited trophy hunts. In 2018, days before the first hunts were to begin, a federal judge issued a restraining order and later a ruling restoring protections, finding the delisting decision unlawful and citing concerns over connectivity, climate‑driven food changes, and cumulative human impacts.
Then
Planned state hunts were canceled, and grizzlies remained under federal protection despite pressure from western states to assume control and authorize hunting.
Now
The case underscored that courts can significantly constrain state wildlife agencies when judges deem the underlying science or legal analysis inadequate, reshaping management and delaying hunting even for seemingly recovered populations.
Why this matters now
Opponents of Florida’s bear hunt point to these grizzly cases as proof that judges may later find FWC’s reliance on older data and its handling of cumulative risk inconsistent with legal standards, even if emergency injunctions fail at first instance.
3 of 3
2011–2022
Gray Wolf Delisting and Rapid Re‑Listing After Litigation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly attempted to delist gray wolves, allowing states to authorize hunts, only to see courts vacate those rules. In the Great Lakes region, for example, a federal court in 2022 struck down a nationwide delisting decision, holding that FWS misapplied the Endangered Species Act by focusing on recovered subpopulations while ignoring struggling ones.
Then
State wolf hunts in some regions were halted or scaled back, and wolves were restored to federal protection in many areas.
Now
The ongoing legal whiplash has driven calls for clearer, more defensible science and has fueled polarized politics over predator management, with lawsuits now expected as a routine check on aggressive state hunting policies.
Why this matters now
Florida’s black bear is a state‑managed species, not federally listed, but the wolf saga illustrates how advocates can use courts to challenge perceived overreach in predator management, and how agencies that push legal and scientific boundaries risk years of litigation and unstable policy.
