Florida’s first statewide black bear hunt in over a decade is still scheduled to open this Saturday, but a new twist has some tag holders weighing a potential payday against a chance at a bruin. After hurling lawsuits, protesting on street corners across the state and even going as far as taking hunter ed courses in order to buy up available tags, the crew at Bear Warriors United is putting their money (read: a financier’s money) where their mouth is and are offering hunters a sizable payout in exchange for valid tags.
The conservation organization announced their Black Friday Bear Sale last week, indicating that they will now pay any Florida resident who draws one of the 172 available bear tags $2,000 to voluntarily surrender it and sit out the season. And much like any Black Friday deal, the offer has naturally been extended through December 31 and has allegedly already drawn commitments from more than 20 winners, according to program organizers.
“Each hunter who was issued a black bear killing permit by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission AND agrees to not use the permit AND not kill a Florida Black Bear will now receive $2,000,” the post reads. “We have the FWC’s list of bear tag holders and all of their contact information. We will confirm identities and provide a contract to be signed by each FWC bear tag holder before issuing the $2,000.”
The buyout program, which started at $1,000/tag, is the latest chapter in a long-running debate over bear hunting in the Sunshine State. Florida’s black bear population has rebounded from a few hundred animals in the 1970s to roughly 4,000 today, thanks to decades of habitat protection and a hunting moratorium that began after the 2015 season. That 2015 hunt—the state’s first in 21 years—filled its 320-bear quota in two days and sparked intense backlash.
Since then, human-bear conflicts have continued to rise, particularly in suburban areas of central and north Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains that a limited, highly regulated hunt is a responsible management tool. Critics, including Bear Warriors United and the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, argue that better trash management and public education can solve most conflicts without lethal removal.
This year’s permit application period saw unprecedented interest from more than 163,000 residents who applied for the 172 tags. Anti-hunting groups openly encouraged their supporters to apply in order to reduce available permits for active hunters, and a number of winners have publicly stated they intend to take the $2,000 payout.
Bear Warriors United | Facebook
While the buyout program is framed as a voluntary incentive targeting licensed hunters, it has also could potentially create an unexpected windfall for dozens of Floridians who never had any intention of setting foot in the woods. Thanks to the widely promoted “apply-to-block” campaign, many of the 163,000 applicants were first-time permit buyers who completed the required hunter-safety course solely to qualify for the lottery. When their names were drawn, the same $2,000 offer that was meant to sway traditional hunters suddenly became a no-strings payday for people whose only investment was a few hours online and the cost of the course and tag. For them, surrendering the tag isn’t a tough ethical call; it’s just the final step in a process they entered explicitly to collect the check. Time will tell if their ethics can survive a shot at some easy money to recoup some of their costs.
FWC spokesman Chad Weber said the agency is aware of the program but has no plans to alter the season structure, stating that all tag holders are free to use their tag or not.
As of right now, the exact number of tags that will ultimately be surrendered remains unclear. Regardless, Florida’s bears—and the debate surrounding them—are guaranteed to stay in the spotlight, at least until the hunt officially shuts down on December 28th.
