Posted on 01/13/2026 7:02:22 AM PST by marktwain
The Florida 2025 black bear hunt has been a flop as an attempt to manage the bear population in Florida. It may have been successful as a trial run on how to manage a bear hunt. Only 52 bears were harvested. To keep a stable population, at least 600 bears should have been harvested, probably 1500. About 15 % of a black bear population needs to be harvested to keep a stable population. From myfwc.com:
There were 52 bears harvested during the 2025 bear hunt, which is a hunter success rate very close to other states with similar hunt parameters. All harvested bears were physically checked by FWC staff and bear response contractors, providing valuable data that will influence future management strategies. Analysis of the data collected is underway, and a full harvest report will be released in the coming months.
In 2024, 295 Florida bears were killed in vehicular accidents. One thing missing from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) press release is an estimate of the population of bears in Florida. This important number is essential when managing a wildlife population. The last official estimate dates back to 2014-2015, over a decade ago. An estimate was supposed to be done in 2025. The FWC now says a population estimate may be done by 2029. In 2014-2015, the estimate put the Florida bear population at 4,350 bears. In the 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan, the best estimate showed an expected bear population in 2026-2027 of 11,088. This is very close to the estimate of the pre-Columbian bear population of 11,500. These estimates do not include cubs.
The estimate of 11,088 bears is for the four largest subpopulations of bears in Florida.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
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I suppose it is a good test run for a real hunt.
Well, sometimes you get the bear . . . .
It sounds to me like the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) should go do some hunting if there needs to be a culling.
is it good eating? better than being et.
I had some bear salami. It was okay. My suspicion is that it was made into salami to cover something up. It wouldn’t exactly be venison (yum). But it goes great with cheese, Ritz crackers, and maybe a touch of Miracle Whip (or Dijon Mustard or Mayo for you Miracle Whip haters out there).
is it good eating? better than being et.
Much depends on how it is prepared and cared for.
depends- if you dont get an old one or super large one- tastes similar to pork BUT cook it thoroughly- Trichinosis is a problem with bear I guess-
The second time, I was fishing in the wee small hours at Beltsville reservoir. It was a very dark night. I heard a number of deer walk by. Then, I heard an animal lumbering through the vegetation. My fishing partner, in a hushed but stern voice, said stay still. I literally felt the bear's breath on my face. Then, it slowly walked away.
I have bear jerky and it is very good.
I have some in my freezer.
Bear meat was popular in the nineteenth century. however, it’s dangerous to eat because it can contain parasites, so it should never be served medium-rare.
I used to live in an area of the mountains of Colorado with plenty of bears. Was talking to a Division of Wildlife guy and told him I saw bears and had several encounters in a drainage near my place. He said, Yeah, we did a survey of that little creek and tagged 14 bears.” Lots of blueberries in there...
Not a bear hunter, but have eaten some that was prepped well (wet aged in a brine mix).
11,000 is about 8,000 too many. 😏
The bears are getting wise.
Them again Yogi?
Their best bet is a more military approach. Drone recce and even drone attack. A less lethal measure might be to use birth control darts.
Most likely.
*** I literally felt the bear’s breath on my face. ***
Have you ever watched “The Revenant”? You’re lucky to be alive.
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