LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Multiple counties in our area remain open for bear hunting after 111 were harvested in the North and Central Florida regions during the first bear hunting season in the state in 21 years. A total of 207 bears were reportedly harvested statewide.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced bear harvesting closed in Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties after ninety-nine bears were caught in the Central Bear Management Unit.
Bear harvesting continues Sunday in Duval, Baker, Columbia, Nassau and Columbia counties, which are part of the the North Bear Management Unit. Twelve bears were caught in the unit during the first day of the hunt.
Three bears were counted at a check station at Camp Blanding, while two bears were tallied at the Cary State Forest Headquarters, according to officials with the FWC.
A harvest total was not available for the check station at Guana River Wildlife Management, the third check station in the Northeast Florida region.
Almost 3,000 people bought the $100 bear hunting licenses, but only 320 of the state’s estimated 3,500 Florida black bears can be killed during the week-long season.
A group called Speak up Wekiva sued to stop the bear hunt, but a judge sided with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission earlier this month.
A final effort to stop the hunt ended Friday night when the First District Court of Appeal denied a group's request for emergency relief.
FWC said the quota is low because the hunt is intended to stabilize the state's growing bear population.
Hunters are required to register bears they kill at one of 33 statewide check-in stations within 12 hours of recovery, wildlife officials said.
The use of hunting dogs and bait is forbidden.
FWC provides updates about the harvest at 9 p.m. daily.
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