Florida Black Bears

After Florida’s black bear hunt in December, conservationists could seek to add bears to the federal threatened species list.

Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade resulted in 52 bears killed, less than one-third of the potential number.

The bear hunt, the first approved by the wildlife commission since 2015, could lead to as many as 172 bears being killed in four regions of the state.

Florida's black bear hunting season is scheduled to begin on Dec. 6.

Just 172 permits will be awarded for the December hunt. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will choose winners through a random lottery.

In the lawsuit, Bear Warriors United contends the FWC limited public participation before approving the hunt.

The group contends the FWC shouldn’t have taken black bears off its threatened species list

The FWC voted 4-1 for staff members to return with rules for a December hunt that would be held in four parts of the state.

Florida's bear management plan was approved five years ago, and calls are increasing for the state to allow bear hunting for the first time in nearly a decade.

An independent researcher is confirming the state’s claims about a rebounding Florida black bear population. Dr. Joseph Clark of the U.S. Geological…