bear hunt

After having what one described as a "significant impact" on Florida's black bear hunt this month, conservationists could seek to add bears to the federal threatened species list. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Tuesday reported 52 bears were killed during the hunt, which was held from Dec. 6 through Sunday. That was less than a third of the 172 bears that could have been killed.

The bears were physically checked by FWC staff and contracted bear response staff. The agency said that a full report will be released in the coming months. The FWC did not break out the data to show how many bears were killed in each of the four approved bear hunting zones or the sex of the bears killed.

A state judge denied the temporary preliminary injunction sought by Bear Warriors United, which argued the hunt authorization was based on outdated data and will harm the bear population in Florida — right now estimated at around 4,050.

What started as a favor to help find a friend's missing cat became a full-time job for Jamie Katz, who has spent the past decade tracking lost pets across South Florida. Now, she's using her skills to help protect bears in Florida.

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.