Bear Hunt

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 4-1 at a meeting in favor of a bear hunt in December and annually into the future, allowing the use of up to six dogs to corner the bears.

The FWC would set the number to be hunted each year based on bear population, growth rate, management objectives and bear deaths from other causes. This year the number is 187.

"The only justification the FWC [Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] has given for having the hunt is to offer an opportunity for trophy hunters to bag a bear," the group Bear Defenders said in a statement announcing the protests.

The proposals are expected to be completed by a May commission meeting, giving staff members time to compile data from ongoing studies about bear populations and gather more public input.

Florida's bear management plan was approved five years ago, and calls are increasing for the state to allow bear hunting for the first time in nearly a decade.

Bear hunting has long been controversial in Florida, with the most-recent hunt held in 2015

A North Florida lawmaker has backed the call of a county sheriff for the state to hold a bear hunt after a series of interactions between the animals and humans.

It's been nearly eight years since the last state-sanctioned bear hunt, and Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith said Florida needs to find solutions as encounters between the animals and humans are increasing.

Florida is getting closer to imposing stiffer fines for bear poaching and expanding rules against shark “finning.”The Senate Rules Committee on Monday…

Florida Wildlife Officials are putting the possibility of a black bear hunt on hold—at least for the next few years. The decision came during a...

Black bears couldn't be hunted in Florida for a decade, while at least $1 million would be set aside so more people could purchase bear-resistant trash...

UPDATE: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the final count for the hunt was 298 bears. Florida ended its first black bear hunt...