bear hunt

Florida's first bear hunt in a decade drew more than 160,000 applicants for just 172 permits.

State officials approved the plan in August despite strong opposition. The group Bear Warriors United filed the complaint against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in a court in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

Bear Warriors United filed a lawsuit Friday against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission over bear hunt rules commissioners approved earlier this week.

The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.

Although the odds indicate regulators will approve the first black bear hunt in a decade in Florida, opponents will pull out all the rhetorical stops when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) gathers this week in North Florida for a final vote.

The protests are timed to take place only days before the FWC is scheduled to vote August 13-14 on approving rules for a three-week bear hunt in December.

The proposed rules include a lottery-style permitting process, up to 187 bears being killed in four areas of the state and guidelines to encourage hunters to kill male bears.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) voted 4-1 to move forward with the state's first bear hunt in a decade. The final decision will be made in August, with the hunt expected in December.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has given preliminary approval for a black bear hunt for December and into the future, which could eventually allow the use of up to six dogs to corner the bears and use of bowhunting.

“The only justification the FWC [Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] has given for having the hunt is to offer an opportunity for trophy hunters to bag a bear,” the group Bear Defenders said in a statement announcing the protests.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday directed officials to bring forward proposals for a possible bear hunt. The proposals are expected to be completed by a May commission meeting, giving staff members time to compile data from ongoing studies about bear populations and gather more public input.

It will be 2019 before Florida holds another bear hunt.That’s how the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted Wednesday.The state agency…