Florida expands bear hunt permits, adds private lands

Hunters in Florida will have a chance to kill more bears later this year than in the 2025 hunt, and once again non-hunters are expected to apply for the permits to undermine the planned hunt. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is offering up to 215 permits, 193 of which people can bid on at $5 an entry starting Sept. 11. The rest are to go to large private landowners whose property includes bear populations. That’s more than the 172 permits made available for last year’s hunt. This year’s hunt is set for Dec. 5 to Dec. 27 in four different parts of the state. Last year’s hunt, the first state-sanctioned bear hunt in Florida since 2015, resulted in 52 bears killed over 23 days in December. Opponents of the hunt have taken credit for the gap in permits and kills by getting non-hunters to acquire many of the permits. The agency received 163,459 permit applications last year from 14,996 individuals. “This year, we will be working to spare even more bears, and we’ll hope that you join us,” Sierra Club Florida posted on a fact sheet about the upcoming hunt. Commission officials warned last year that a move to lower the kill count by bear hunt opponents by securing numerous permits would likely result in an increased quota for subsequent hunts. Long a controversial issue in Florida, supporters say a hunt could help better manage bear populations as the animals interact with humans. They also point to a voter-approved ballot measure in 2024 that enshrined hunting and fishing rights in the state Constitution. Opponents question if hunting reduces human-bear interactions and say the state should use non-lethal options to address bear populations. This year’s permitting application window runs Sept. 11 through Sept. 21. Those drawn would have between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5 to pay for a non-transferable permit that costs $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents. The state limits non-resident participation to 10 percent. Unclaimed permits would be redrawn during the acceptance window, from Oct. 9 to Oct. 19. A third round for unclaimed permits would be held Oct. 23 to Nov. 2. The state is making 78 permits available in the East Panhandle region, which includes the Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area and encompasses parts of Bay, Washington, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, and Jefferson counties. Another 31 permits will be available to the North zone, which runs along the Florida-Georgia state line, includes the Osceola Wildlife Management Area and encompasses parts of Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Union, and Baker counties. There will be 21 permits available in the Central zone, which includes the Ocala Wildlife Management Area and encompasses parts of Sumter, Marion, Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Putnam, Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns counties. The South zone, with a permit total of 63, includes parts of Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties but does not include the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. Separately, 22 permits will be made available in the four areas to private landowners that meet requirements that include ownership of at least 5,000 contiguous acres and a bear management plan developed by a certified wildlife biologist. At least five bears must be documented on the property for a permit to be issued. Larger properties could get two permits for at least 10 documented bears or three permits for at least 15 documented bears. The Sierra Club Florida has described the new rule as “an exclusive, privatized trophy hunt system.” Hunting would be allowed in those areas held by private landowners starting Oct. 1 and continuing through the end of the year. In 2025, the hunt was held in four regions of the state where an estimated 3,609 bears lived. All but three of the bears were killed with a rifle. Two were killed with a shotgun. One death was attributed to a hunter with a bow. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV