The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is meeting for a final hearing on the rule proposals on black bear hunting.

A wildlife conservation group has filed a complaint that the state violated state law in how it developed rules for an annual black bear hunt.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted on Wednesday to host a proposed three-week bear hunt in December. This will be the first time in 10 years that hunting black bears will be permitted in the Sunshine State.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously Wednesday to establish a black bear hunting season,

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Jacob Wild received the 2025 Shikar-Safari Officer of the Year award.

The new rules will establish bear hunting zones within four of the seven existing bear management units. The FWC says in total, 187 permits will be issued across the East Panhandle, North, Central, and South BMUs. Each permit will allow the harvest of one bear within the assigned bear hunting zone.

There's a new effort to stop Florida's black bear hunt on Friday morning.A lawsuit was filed against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) days after approving the hunt. That suit claims the hunt is a "needless slaughter.

During the 2015 Florida black bear hunt, more than 300 -- including the prohibited lactating mothers and cubs -- were slaughtered in less than 48 hours. The hunt had to be called off.

Two endangered Florida panther kittens were found dead in Collier County last weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved the final rules for black bear hunting in Florida. The first hunt in about a decade is scheduled to take place in December. Public comment at Wednesday’s hearing took nearly three hours, but the commission’s unanimous vote in favor came quickly.

About 25-30% of manatee deaths are blamed on boats. Blunt-force impacts have outpaced propeller cuts, and some injuries and deaths are caused by both.