TAMPA, Fla. — Florida's first bear hunt in a decade begins on Saturday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the black bear population has come back from just several hundred bears in the 1970s to over 4,000 today and is one of Florida’s most successful conservation efforts.
Florida has not allowed a bear hunt since 2015.
The hunt begins on Saturday, Dec. 6 and runs through Dec. 28.
Protesters, including wildlife life advocates with Bear Warriors United, rallied outside the state capitol last month. Demonstrators urged Governor Ron DeSantis to stop the hunt.
The Central Florida based non-profit organization, Bear Warriors United, sued the FWC, but last month a judge ultimately ruled the hunt could continue as planned.
Wildlife advocates said killing animals is not the answer.
"We have so much development and so much habitat loss, so many vehicle strikes, bears are already struggling as it is," said Kate MacFall, the Florida state director for the Humane World for Animals.
MacFall said education is the answer.
She encourages people to learn about bear-proof dumpsters and trash cans.
"Use this time and effort and resources to focus on bear-wise communities and educating Floridians, whether they're from here or they just moved here...Seminole County is a great example of that," she said.
The FWC issued permits for the hunt using a lottery system.
"I've been hunting for a long time. Anything we harvest, we eat, and nothing goes to waste. It's not about the trophies. It's about putting meat in my freezer, feeding my family and taking the time to be in nature," said Nathaniel Miller.
Those against the hunt call it "trophy killing." The FWC argues the hunt helps manage the bear population.
State officials estimate there are more than 4,000 bears statewide.
For more information on the hunt, click here.
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