\u201cRegulated bear hunting \u2026 helps manage the population,\u201d the FWC stated in a Guide to Bear Hunting in Florida<\/a> featured on their website.<\/p>\n The FWC noted that while there is \u201cenough suitable bear habitat to support our current bear population levels,\u201d a scarcity will eventually develop should \u201cthe four largest subpopulations continue to grow at current rates.\u201d<\/p>\n Roger Simmons\/Orlando Sentinel\/Tribune News Service via Getty<\/p>\n A black bear in Florida<\/p>\n \u201cEarly action would allow the agency to monitor conditions and adaptively manage the population so it never reaches that risk level,\u201d the FWC added in the guide.<\/p>\n The FWC awarded 172 bear hunting permits \u2014 after receiving over 160,000 applications, per the Associated Press<\/a> (AP). Hunters are permitted to kill one bear per permit, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n PEOPLE reached out to the FWC for comment on Dec. 6, but did not receive an immediate response.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Local conservation groups<\/a> are opposed to the hunt, arguing that it is unnecessary at this time.\u00a0 Some have even proposed unconventional solutions in an attempt to limit the number of bears killed.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n A black bear and a cub in Florida<\/p>\n In a November Facebook post<\/a>, the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club suggested that anyone opposed to the hunt should apply for a hunting permit so as to reduce the odds of actual hunters winning them.<\/p>\n Katrina Shadix, executive director of the bear conservation group Bear Warriors United<\/a>, said that her organization is offering anyone with a bear hunting permit $2,000 to not participate in the hunt, per local news outlet WKMG<\/a>.<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe just had our first successful interaction with a hunter,\u201d she told the outlet, adding, \u201cWe met him at the post office. He cut up his bear tag in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she believes about \u201c36 hunters\u201d have called her organization to express interest in the offer.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s last state-sanctioned bear hunting season took place in 2015, although was widely considered a failure, per the AP.<\/p>\n At the time, permits were given to anyone who could pay for one, which resulted in more than 3,700 permits issued. More than 300 bears were killed, and at least 38 of those bears were females with cubs, which meant the orphaned cubs<\/a> may have also died as a result of losing their mothers, per the AP.<\/p>\n The hunt was called off after only two days due to concerns from wildlife officials, per the outlet.<\/p>\n In the 1970s, the Florida black bear population dipped below 500, sparking a dedicated state-wide conservation effort, per National Geographic<\/a>. The population rebounded over the ensuing decades, and experts estimate that there are currently about 4,000 Florida black bears in the wild, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n![\"Roger](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/02880dc57db5dd194c0ad3241dd5acd0.jpeg\"\/)
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