Home / Environment / Judge Allows Florida's First Black Bear Hunt in a Decade
Judge Allows Florida's First Black Bear Hunt in a Decade
25 Nov
Summary
- Judge rejected a bid to stop Florida's first black bear hunt since 2015.
- The hunt is scheduled to begin December 6, allowing up to 172 bear kills.
- The ruling cited the commission's participation in the rulemaking process.
A Leon County circuit judge has greenlit Florida's first black bear hunt in ten years, rejecting a plea from Bear Warriors United to block the event. The hunt, slated to commence on December 6, allows for a maximum of 172 bear kills across four designated regions. This decision follows a legal challenge by the nonprofit, which argued the hunt was based on outdated data and lacked sound science.
The judge, Angela Dempsey, found that Bear Warriors United failed to show a substantial likelihood of success in their lawsuit and had participated in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's rulemaking process. The current hunt is considerably more conservative than the 2015 hunt, which was halted after two days with 304 bears killed. The commission contends that a controlled hunt helps manage the bear population and enhance long-term survival.
Florida estimates over 4,000 black bears, with some populations interacting with residential areas. The commission issued 172 permits for the hunt, a reduction from an initial 187 after an updated population estimate for one region. Opponents have reportedly secured up to 40 permits through a lottery system, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding wildlife management and conservation efforts in the state.
