The bear population in Florida is estimated at around 4,050. The 2025 hunt was the first since in a decade. The state shut down the last hunt in 2015 at the end of its second day after nearly 300 bears had been killed. The 2025 rules gave hunters the green light to kill bears at game feeding stations, using food to bait the animals. The rules allow hunters to use dogs to assist them in the hunt beginning in 2027.
