JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Despite numerous efforts to try and stop it, the Florida black bear hunt officially kicks off Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the hunt will end on Dec. 28.<\/p>\n
The FWC voted in August to approve the hunt \u2014 the first since 2015. The commission used a lottery-style system to grant permits, with each permit-holder able to harvest one bear.<\/p>\n
A total of 172 permits were issued.<\/p>\n
The FWC said bringing back the hunt would be an \u201ceffective tool\u201d to try and balance population numbers, claiming the data shows a black bear population that now exceeds 4,000 throughout the state.<\/p>\n
Opponents of the hunt, however, contend that the commission\u2019s approval was not based on sound science and used outdated bear population estimates.<\/p>\n
There was an emergency injunction that was filed back in October, but a circuit judge denied the request on Nov. 24 in Tallahassee, which means the hunt is still on. <\/p>\n
RELATED | \u2018Science is not there\u2019: Conservationists hold rally outside Florida Capitol pushing for state to stop December bear hunt<\/a><\/p>\n Raquel Levy, senior attorney and owner of Atlantic Law Center, is representing Bear Warriors United. <\/p>\n \u201cThe legal team lost this first battle in court so bears will die starting tomorrow. They will be killed by cowards for trophy rather than consumption,\u201d Levy told News4JAX in a statement.<\/p>\n Levy also said they plan to amend their lawsuit to seek \u201cadditional legal recourse against the FWC.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am working closely with my client, Bear Warriors United, carefully evaluating our legal options and strategies to best help the Florida Black Bear in this 2025 hunting season and moving forward,\u201d Levy said.<\/p>\n