ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is set to vote within a week on a proposal to start a seasonal bear hunt in the state, sparking opinions on both sides.
Several protests took place across Florida on Saturday ahead of the vote, including a demonstration in downtown Orlando.
Some of the activists said education as the key to reducing negative bear-human interactions.
Discussions over a possible bear hunt began in December 2024 as a measure to control the growing bear population and reduce encounters between bears and people. The FWC estimates more than 4,000 bears currently roam the state.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Bryan Wilson, coordinator for the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, said a bear hunt would not effectively control the population because bear communities are so fragmented.
“If you kill a bear in the Ocala forest, that’s not going to do anything for a bear in downtown Orlando. You kill a bear in the Panhandle, that’s not going to do anything for the people who are having negative conflicts with bears in South Florida,” Wilson said.
The FWC’s plan would issue permits for hunting within bear management units that have at least 200 bears. Wilson believes education is a better approach to prevent negative interactions between bears and humans.
“Seminole County has implemented a Bear Wise community standard. Bear-proof cans, bear education for the communities and communities where they have bears living within close proximity to them were even under more scrutiny and more education,” Wilson said.
Back in May, News 6 spoke to Lee Kramer. She lives off of Markham Woods Road in Seminole County and said she had an encounter inside her home in 2016.
“One of the bears got inside the laundry room and as soon as he turned around, the door shut,” Kramer said. “I just ran inside and closed the door.”
Kramer said that while she doesn’t want to see the bears killed, a regulated bear hunt could be beneficial.
“It will protect everyone,” she said. “Regulation is good for everything. Regulation and discipline.”
If approved, this would be the first bear-hunting season in Florida in a decade. The vote is expected to take place during FWC’s meeting Aug. 13 in Gadsden County.
Breaking News Alerts
Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.