TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee is meeting for a final hearing on proposed rules regarding birch hunting.
The FWC commissioners will meet today for the final vote.
In May 2025, FWC staff presented options regarding regulated bear hunting, and the public provided comments at the committee meeting, the FWC said.
At that meeting, the FWC commissioner voted 4-1 to approve the proposed amendments to the hunting rules for advertising on the Florida Management Register.
If the final rules are approved, the changes will take effect during the 2025-26 hunting season.
According to the FWC, the Black Bear Hunting, regulated in Florida, began in the 1930s and continued until 1994.
Hunting was closed until 2015 before it resumed in the fall.
The bear hunting season has not been open since 2015, the FWC said.
Today, there are over 4,000 bears, and its population is one of Florida’s most successful conservation efforts.
