At their August 2025 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to adopt new rules allowing annual hunts on Florida black bears, despite the serious concerns raised by the public. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida was present to testify before the Commissioners and share our analysis showing flaws in the hunt program, as well as to ring the alarm about how the hunt could negatively impact the recovery of disconnected bear subpopulations that are struggling to even survive.
Unfortunately, without much discussion, the FWC Commissioners voted to approve the 2025 Florida black bear hunt, including aspects of the rule that eliminate opportunities for public comment on future hunt years.
Without intervention, the Florida black bear hunt is scheduled to begin on December 6, 2025. Join us in asking Governor DeSantis to call off the hunt and, instead, prioritize critical conservation actions such as securing trash, protecting corridors, and reducing roadkills.
Read more about our advocacy on this issue here: conservancy.org/bears.