A lawsuit filed regarding Florida’s bear hunt and the process to establish it is in a holding pattern, but has a trial date set in August. An animal “rights” group filed the suit, alleging that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials used outdated data about bear population numbers and lacked scientific justification for the 2025 hunt, and future hunts. A Leon County judge is considering the case and could rule in June whether it can move forward.
Hunters killed 52 bears during the three-week 2025 season, the first in Florida in 10 years and second ever. Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey set a May 29 deadline for both sides to submit information for her to consider. Florida FWC officials have asked Dempsey to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Bear Warriors United, a nonprofit activist organization based in Oviedo in central Florida.
The activist group contends FWC officials used bear population numbers from a decade ago. It also alleges the wildlife agency sees its rules as “just guidelines.” It sued in 2025 to stop the hunt, but Dempsey denied that motion. Wildlife officials estimate more than 4,000 bears live in the state. The population has grown from 300 to 500 in 1974, when they were put on the state’s threatened species list, to its current number. Most are in the northern half of the state and Panhandle. Bears were removed from the list in 2012. The 2015 hunt was successful, but FWC officials didn’t hold another one after public and legislative pushback.
In 2019, the state’s bear management plan included hunting as a management option, and a season was approved for 2025 with 172 permits allowing one bear per permit. The three-week hunt was deemed a success by FWC Executive Director Roger Young. All harvested bears were checked by biologists or contractors and met the size requirements of at least 100 pounds.
