These draft rules will be considered for a final vote at the FWC Commission meetings on August 13 or 14th. Currently, the rules authorize a 23-day bear trophy hunt using some of the most controversial and inhumane methods available.
The proposed rules include;
Hounding and dog hunting are practices as cruel as they are outdated. It involves releasing packs of dogs to relentlessly pursue bears through the woods, often for miles. Bears, particularly in Florida’s subtropical climate, are susceptible to overheating under stress. They lack sweat glands and are poorly equipped to regulate body temperature during extended chases. The result is often physical exhaustion, collapse, or a desperate climb up a tree where violent encounters with dogs can erupt. Injuries and fatalities are not uncommon for bears, dogs, and any wildlife caught in the chaos. Cubs separated from their mothers may later die from starvation or predation.
We’ve seen the consequences firsthand: in 2019, Florida authorities exposed a brutal poaching ring that used hounds to terrorize bears, confirming how easily this method can devolve into unchecked cruelty.
Archery hunting poses a grave concern. Due to a black bear’s thick hide, dense musculature, and substantial fat layers, it is extremely difficult to kill a black bear quickly with arrows. Most do not die immediately. Instead, they may suffer for hours or even days from massive blood loss, punctured lungs filling slowly with blood, or abdominal wounds leading to infection and sepsis. These are not clean kills. These are prolonged deaths marked by terror, confusion, and agony. And when mothers are killed, their cubs face a delayed but inevitable death of their own.
During the May Ocala FWC Meeting, Commissioner Sonya Rood asked questions about archery and whether what people were saying about the bears being shot in the lungs with arrows, essentially causing them to suffocate and die slowly, was true. Morgan Richardson, Director, Division of Hunting and Game Management at Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded that, in his opinion, no. Then he deflected by stating that other states allow archery for hunting bears. A quick search will show you the gruesome reality of killing bears with bows, hunting them with dogs, and luring them with bait and deer feeding stations.
Here's a graphic video that shows what happens. Viewer discretion is advised. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96eTcU4OXpo
Baiting is deceptively named. It is not hunting. It is a calculated ambush. Bears are lured to bait sites using human-provided food: pastries, corn syrup, candy, and meat scraps. Florida black bears are already habituated to deer feeding stations. This not only exploits their natural foraging behavior but also conditions them to associate people with food. A practice that the state officially prohibits for the general public due to the risks it creates. Yet hunters are granted exemptions, revealing a double standard that endangers both bears and communities. Widespread deer feeding stations and unsecured trash have already conditioned Florida’s bears. Baiting amplifies this problem, setting them up for both conflict and death.
During the 2015 Florida Black Bear Hunt, the majority (78%) of bears killed were taken on private lands. In the Eastern Panhandle Bear Management Unit (BMU), 90-100% of bears killed were "harvested" on private property, many showing clear signs of having been lured by bait, such as corn found in their stomachs when they were brought into check stations. The speed at which the hunt unfolded was not a reflection of excessive bear populations but rather a result of bears being conditioned to human-provided food sources, such as deer feeding stations, making them predictable and easy targets for trophy hunters.
No Check Stations. Without oversight, there is little to prevent the illegal killing of undersized bears, nursing females, or cubs. Relying on an honor system for reporting bear kills is irresponsible, ill-advised, and invites abuse of the system. It erodes accountability and masks the true impact of the hunt.
These practices are not grounded in conservation, science, or necessity. They are not humane or ethical. They prioritize special interests and tradition over science, overwhelming public opposition, and responsible wildlife “management.”
Black bears are emotionally complex beings. They care for their young, explore, play, and form bonds. They are not trophies. They are not targets. They are keystone species deserving of respect that reflects their critical ecological role in our ecosystems.
Permitting such brutal methods in the name of “opportunity” is not wildlife management. It is a betrayal of the Public Trust Doctrine. We must demand better from those entrusted with protecting Florida’s wildlife. We owe it to the bears, to the public, and to the future of our state’s unique wildlife and wild lands.
We urge the public to submit written comments to the FWC today and to request that the Commissioners vote NO on the proposed hunt.
Please send your comments to the FWC Commissioners and staff using the following emails:
Rodney.Barreto@MyFWC.com, Steven.Hudson@MyFWC.com, Preston.Farrior@MyFWC.com, Sonya.Rood@MyFWC.com, Albert.Maury@MyFWC.com, Gary.Nicklaus@MyFWC.com, Gary.Lester@MyFWC.com
Morgan Richardson, Director, Hunting and Game Management Division: Morgan.Richardson@myfwc.com
Bear Comments Email:
BearComments@MyFWC.com
Please BCC us in your message.
contact@oneprotest.org
In your message, you may wish to state:
“I strongly oppose the reopening of the Florida black bear hunt and the use of methods such as hounding, baiting, and archery. These practices are inhumane, ecologically unsound, and contrary to the values of most Floridians. I urge the FWC to reject this proposal and adopt policies that protect Florida’s wildlife and reflect the wishes of the majority of Floridians and science-based management.”
Additionally, we encourage those who experienced or witnessed the impacts of the 2015 bear hunt to contact media outlets, write opinion pieces, and share their stories. Personal testimony is a powerful tool in shaping public understanding and influencing decision-making.
For those able to attend, the final vote will take place at the August 13 -14 FWC Commission meeting in Havana, Florida (near Tallahassee). Your presence and advocacy are critical.
Dates: August 13th - 14th, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Arrive at 7:30 am to register to speak).
Location: Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy
75 College Ave., Havana, Florida 32333
Today is the last opportunity to submit public input before these rules are finalized. Please act now to protect the bears and the future of Florida’s ecosystems.
Thank you for taking action.
BEARDEFENDERS.ORG