Bear harvest permit applications for Florida’s 2025 regulated bear hunting season will open on September 12 at 10 a.m. EDT and close on September 22 at 11:59 p.m. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, hunters must obtain a bear harvest permit to hunt bears in one of four designated Bear Harvest Zones during the season, which runs from December 6 to December 28. A valid hunting license is also required unless the applicant qualifies for an exemption.
Applicants need to be at least 18 years old by October 1 to apply for a permit. Each application costs $5 plus handling fees, and there is no limit on the number of applications an individual can submit. Permits will be distributed through a random drawing process. However, only one nontransferable permit will be issued per person if selected. The cost of each permit is $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, with additional handling fees applied. The commission has set a cap so that no more than ten percent of all permits are allocated to nonresidents.
Applications can be submitted online by logging into an account at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com and selecting “Apply for Limited Entry/Quota Permits.” Alternatively, applicants may complete an application worksheet and present it in person at a license agent or Florida tax collector’s office. Additional details about the application process are available at MyFWC.com/License under “Limited Entry and Quota Permits,” while information specific to bear hunting in Florida can be found at MyFWC.com/BearHunting.
“Bear harvest permit applications for the 2025 regulated bear hunting season will open at 10 a.m. EDT on Sept. 12 and can be submitted through Sept. 22 at 11:59 p.m. A bear harvest permit is required to harvest a bear in one of the four selected Bear Harvest Zones from Dec. 6-28. A hunting license is also required to hunt bears, unless exempt.”
“Applicants must be at least 18 years old by Oct. 1 to apply and may apply as many times as they want for $5 per application, plus handling fees. Permits will be distributed by random drawing. Only one nontransferable permit may be issued per person, and permits will cost $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, plus handling fees. No more than 10% of all permits issued will be to nonresidents.”
“Hunters will be able to submit online applications at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com by logging into their account and choosing “Apply for Limited Entry/Quota Permits” or by completing an application worksheet and presenting it to a license agent or Florida tax collector’s office. Hunters can find more information on how to apply by going to MyFWC.com/License and clicking on “Limited Entry and Quota Permits.” Visit MyFWC.com/BearHunting for more information on bear hunting in Florida.”
