At a recent meeting in Ocala, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved proposed amendments to bear hunting rules for advertising. These proposals will be included in the Florida Administrative Register and are expected to return for a final hearing at the Commission’s August 2025 meeting. If approved, most changes would take effect during the 2025-26 hunting season.
In December 2024, the FWC’s Bear Management Program presented a five-year update on the 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan. This update highlighted recent efforts in bear management and research. Following this presentation, Commissioners requested staff to propose options for a potential bear hunt at a future meeting.
FWC staff presented these options at the May 2025 Commission meeting, developed with input from stakeholder groups and public meetings held on March 13 and April 2, 3, and 5. Between December 6, 2024, and April 20, 2025, over 3,900 public comments were compiled on this topic. Additionally, an online comment tool available from April 2 to April 20 received more than 13,000 unique responses.
Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the FWC, stated: “The resurgence of the Florida black bear is not just a victory for conservationists; it’s a win for all Floridians.” He added that “Hunting is a biologically sound method to slow population growth,” which contributes to maintaining a healthy black bear population.
The introduction of hunting would enable FWC to manage population growth rates within Bear Management Units (BMUs), particularly those with larger subpopulations. Balancing species population growth with suitable habitat helps maintain healthful populations. While hunting is an effective wildlife management tool globally, managing bear populations does not address human-bear conflicts directly. Therefore, conflict prevention and ongoing bear management practices will continue regardless of whether regulated bear hunting is reinstated.
For additional information or frequently asked questions about this topic, visit MyFWC.com/BearHunting. To learn more about black bears and avoiding conflicts with them, visit BearWise.org.
