Florida Wildlife Policy

Florida opened its first regulated black bear hunting season in a decade on Dec. 6, 2025, after the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued 172 permits via lottery for zone‑specific quotas through Dec. 28. The move follows roughly 160,000 applications and includes tighter rules than 2015; opponents failed to halt the hunt in court and say at least 43 permits were secured by critics who won’t use them to reduce bear kills, while the state cites a bear population now exceeding 4,000.