Although the odds indicate regulators will OK the first black bear hunt in a decade in Florida, opponents will pull out all the rhetorical stops when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) gathers this week in North Florida for a final vote. FWC commissioners voted 4-1 in May to give preliminary approval to a 23-day bear hunt, tentatively proposed for December, plus annual hunts from October through December beginning in 2026.