Florida Wildlife Conservation-
FWC APPROVES FINAL PROPOSED RULES FOR HIGHLY REGULATED BLACK BEAR HUNTING
After FWC staff presented options on highly regulated black bear hunting and the public provided their comments at the August 2025 Commission meeting, FWC Commissioners approved final proposed amendments to bear hunting rules, which will go into effect on September 1, 2025.
Background
The black bear population has come back from just several hundred bears in the 1970s to over 4,000 today and is one of Florida’s most successful conservation efforts.
Regulated black bear hunting occurred in Florida in the 1930s and continued until 1994. Hunting was closed until 2015, when it was reopened in the fall. No bear hunting seasons have been open since 2015.
All the elements outlined in the presentation were approved.
