FWC released the official results of the 2025 black bear hunt in Florida.
There were 52 bears harvested during the 2025 bear hunt, which the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said is a hunter success rate very close to other states with similar hunt parameters. All harvested bears were physically checked by FWC staff and bear response contractors, providing valuable data that will influence future management strategies.
FWC Commissioners approved final proposed amendments to bear hunting rules, which took effect during the 2025 hunting season. The new rules established Bear Hunting Zones (BHZ) within four of the seven existing Bear Management Units. Through a random drawing a total of 172 permits were issued across the East Panhandle, North, Central and South BMUs, and each permit allowed the harvest of one bear within the assigned BHZ.
Animal rights and bear advocates who were against the hunt lobbied hard, educated the public and even secured many of the permits in order to save lives of bears. It is estimated that these efforts put a sizeable dent in the kill numbers. Advocates say the Florida black bear hunt lacked any scientific justification and was overwhelmingly opposed by the public.
Polling from Remington Research Group, and commissioned by Humane World for Animals, shows 81% of Florida voters oppose a bear hunt, with 89% opposing hounding and 86% opposing baiting, these levels of opposition included super majorities across all major political parties and ideologies.
“Seeing the photos of trophy hunters gloating over their slaughtered bears has been deeply upsetting for all Floridians who love Florida’s bears and want them protected,” Kate MacFall, Florida state director for Humane World for Animals (formerly called the Humane Society of the United States), said in a statement. “This bloody spectacle has been a heartbreaking way for Floridians to enter the holiday season. To say the FWC Commission missed the mark on this might be the understatement of the year, and like the 2015 hunt, it will surely haunt our state for years to come. But we’ll never stop fighting to restore protections for our iconic and much-beloved bears.”
Analysis of the data collected is underway, and a full harvest report will be released in the coming months.
“The 2025 black bear hunt, rooted in sound scientific data, was a success. We’re proud to have joined the more than 30 states that manage black bears with regulated hunting,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. “The limited number of permits issued in areas with the largest bear populations and other components of the hunt prioritized a conservative approach that ensures the long-term health of bear populations in Florida, while providing opportunity for hunters.”
Speak Up For Wildlife, an organization that monitored the 2025 Florida Black Bear hunt from its opening day, called on FWC Executive Director Roger Young to immediately stop the hunt. The group said this hunt, which was sold to the public as a scientifically based, well regulated, conservative hunt turned into a lawless free-for-all with many damaging failures. The group said Executive Director Roger Young was empowered with the sole responsibility to conduct this hunt under the rules approved by the FWC Commissioners – and they said he “failed miserably.” Speak Up For Wildlife was created to protect Florida’s threatened Black Bear from reckless policies, with a mission to protect and conserve Florida’s dwindling native wildlife populations.
“Hunting is an effective tool for managing wildlife populations around the world and is a key part of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” said FWC Chief Conservation Officer George Warthen. “It’s about helping bears succeed over the long term in our state and is a way for us to guide an iconic Florida species into the future, for their benefit and ours.”
The FWC Division of Law Enforcement allocated additional resources to support a productive hunt while maintaining accountability among participants. Increased officer engagement and hunter education led to strong compliance with hunting regulations. Out of numerous positive interactions between officers and hunters, only one hunter received a warning for a minor Wildlife Management Area violation, and no citations were issued. Additionally, the Division of Law Enforcement investigated all reported wildlife violations, and no wildlife violations were found.
“Our officers maintained a strong, engaged presence throughout the hunt to help ensure it was conducted safely and legally,” said Colonel Alberto Maza, Director of the FWC Division of Law Enforcement. “While our officers were there to uphold the rules, the primary focus was education. I’m proud of our officers for protecting this important resource and supporting the goals of the agency’s Bear Management Plan.”
As one of the management tools included in the 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan, regulated hunting allows the FWC to manage population growth rates in areas with the largest bear subpopulations. Balancing wildlife numbers with suitable habitat keeps populations healthy. Hunting is an important and effective tool for managing wildlife populations worldwide, but it is essential to recognize that managing bear populations does not necessarily mitigate human-bear conflicts. Conflict prevention and bear management practices will still need to continue, according to the state.
