TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has released the results of the 2025 black bear hunting season following new rules that took effect this year.
FWC said 172 permitted hunters harvested 52 bears across four designated zones.
"There were 52 bears harvested during the 2025 bear hunt, which is a hunter success rate very close to other states with similar hunt parameters," FWC said in a press release.
"The 2025 black bear hunt, rooted in sound scientific data, was a success," FWC Executive Director Roger Young said. "We're proud to have joined the more than 30 states that manage black bears with regulated hunting."
Opponents of the hunt previously said habitat loss and unsecured trash, not overpopulation, are driving conflicts, and that killing bears is the wrong approach.
The regulations established Bear Hunting Zones within four of the seven existing Bear Management Units, with permits distributed through a random drawing system.
Hunters received permits for the East Panhandle, North, Central and South Bear Management Units, with each permit allowing the harvest of one bear within the assigned zone.
All harvested bears underwent physical inspection by FWC staff and bear response contractors, providing valuable data for future management strategies. Officials said analysis of the collected data is underway, with a full harvest report expected in the coming months, FWC said in a press release.
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