Florida wildlife regulators have cleared the way for the state’s first black bear hunt in a decade, voting 5–0 on 13 August to adopt rules that will allow hunters to harvest up to 187 bears in December. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said the season is intended to manage a growing bear population and reduce human–bear conflicts. Under the rule, permits will be awarded by lottery for four Bear Management Units that span 31 counties. Each permit holder may take one bear between 6 and 28 December. Fees are set at $100 for residents and $300 for non-residents. Hunting dogs, bait stations and archery equipment will be allowed, but killing cubs or females accompanied by cubs is prohibited. Private landowners with at least 5,000 acres may also conduct controlled harvests. FWC biologists estimate that Florida now supports roughly 4,000 black bears, up sharply from the 1990s. The agency cited a surge in nuisance calls—from about 2,000 in 2016 to more than 6,000 in 2024—and the state’s first recorded fatal bear attack in May, as evidence that intervention is needed. “We make decisions based on science,” commission chair Rodney Barreto said after the vote. Conservationists and animal-rights advocates condemned the decision, arguing that non-lethal measures such as securing garbage would better address conflicts. Bear Warriors United filed an administrative lawsuit immediately after the vote, seeking to block the hunt and to relist the species as threatened. Opponents also point to the 2015 hunt, which was halted after two days when hunters killed 304 bears, including dozens of lactating females. FWC plans to review population data and public feedback annually before setting future quotas and dates. The December season will proceed unless courts intervene in the pending legal challenge.