From Staff Reports and ChatGPT
Wildlife advocates are sounding the alarm as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) prepares to vote this week on a plan to reopen black bear hunting for the first time since 2015—a move critics say defies science, ignores public opinion, and caters to trophy-hunting interests.
The proposal will be decided at the FWC’s August 13th meeting, which starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Florida Public Safety Institute and Conference Center, 85 Academy Drive, Havana, FL 32333. Havana is 17 miles north of Tallahassee.
To live stream the meeting, go to https://thefloridachannel.org/schedules/
The commission is proposing to open a bear hunting season for the first time since 2015. That year, more than 300 bears were killed in just two days, sparking outrage. The new plan would allow killing 187 bears using archery and bait stations, and starting next year, hunters could chase bears with packs of trailing hounds. These hounds roam freely, harm non-target wildlife, trespass on private and protected lands, and pose serious animal welfare concerns. Baiting attracts non-target animals, spreads disease, disrupts ecosystems, and increases vehicle collisions. Beginning in 2026, wealthy landowners with 5,000 acres or more could bypass the public lottery system to host private trophy hunts. Conservation groups say this would privatize a public resource, reward political allies, and create a “luxury hunt” market for the well-connected.
Related: Coalition blasts FWC's proposed black bear hunt as privatized trophy plan.
“This isn’t hunters vs. environmentalists,” said Kris Cunningham, Sierra Club Florida Executive Committee Chair. “It’s ethical, science-minded Floridians who care about protecting our bears vs. trophy-hunting special interests who scorn public opinion and rig the system for their personal gain.”
The plan also grants FWC staff permanent authority to approve future hunts without a commission vote, stripping away public oversight. In its own survey, the FWC found that three out of four Floridians oppose a bear hunt.
Related: OP/ED: Floridians don't want trophy hunts of bears.
The push to reopen bear hunting follows Governor Ron DeSantis’ 2024 signing of HB 87, a controversial law allowing anyone to kill a bear without FWC permission if they claim the animal poses a threat. Opponents say the bill was based on sensationalized claims about “drug-addicted” bears and ignores the fact that Florida has recorded no fatal bear attacks in its history.
Related: Push for new Florida bear hunt ignores real source of problems: Humans.
“The FWC’s bear hunt plan is barreling ahead with no evidence of need,” said Chuck O’Neal of Speak Up for Wildlife. “It creates a new system with reverse-engineered science and no public accountability.”
Kate MacFall, Florida state director for Humane World for Animals, was equally critical of the bear hunt and referenced the support of 75% of Floridians polled who do not support it.
“Thousands of Floridians have spoken loud and clear that they don’t want a bear hunt," she said. "We hope that the FWC doesn’t barrel ahead just to appease a fringe minority of trophy hunters. Gunning down bears won’t solve human-bear conflicts, but it will decimate fragile populations of bears and trample the will of the people this Commission is supposed to serve."
