Florida’s long-awaited bear hunt is back for the first time in a decade. And anti-hunting activists are doing everything they can to shut it down before a single hunter even steps into the woods.
According to Local News 10, a group of Florida animal-rights activists is offering $2,000 in cold, hard cash to every permitted hunter willing to stay home.
That’s because only 172 bear tags were issued statewide after a massive lottery. And at least 52 of those permits were intentionally claimed by animal advocates who never planned to hunt in the first place.
And they’re not the only ones trying to sabotage the season. A group calling itself Bear Warriors United is offering the remaining permit holders the same $2,000 payout to hang up their rifles and skip the hunt entirely.
Their push doesn’t stop there. The Sierra Club of Florida told reporters they want Governor Ron DeSantis to intervene and stop the hunt altogether.
Even though the governor signed a 2024 law allowing lethal force when bears threaten people, pets, or homes. That shift came after the first recorded fatal bear attack in Florida, when a Collier County man and his dog were killed in May.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reinstated the hunt after a 10-year hiatus, pointing to strong population recovery.
Florida’s black bears rebounded from near extinction to more than 5,000 animals statewide. Each permitted hunter is allowed to take one bear, and hunting is restricted to four designated management zones.
Not every tag holder is tempted by activist cash. Hunter Jason Howard, who drew a permit, told Gulf Coast News he’ll be in the woods regardless.
“I don’t trophy hunt… When I deer hunt, I don’t hunt for antlers. It’s for the meat… and I hope to enjoy bear meat as well.”
Looking ahead, FWC plans to allow the use of dogs for bear hunting starting in 2027, and the Sierra Club is already gearing up to fight that rule.
Calling the practice “extraordinarily cruel” to both bears and dogs. They note that dogs can be lost while pursuing bears, something hunters have dealt with for generations.
One thing is clear: while activists throw money at permit holders, the demand for the hunt hasn’t faded.
More than 160,000 hunters applied for those 172 slots. This is a HUGE reminder that Florida’s hunting community is very much alive, and more than ready to take part in a carefully managed conservation season.
But let’s be honest: would you take $2,000 cash for your black bear tag?
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