52 bears were hunted in the first Florida bear hunt in 10 years, thats 83% less bears hunted than in the 2015 hunt. I spoke with neighbors about this hunt and how that number came to be. In a press release on December 30th, the FWC called this hunt a success rooted in sound scientific data. Neighbors questioned why the number was so low. Watch the video below to hear from a local hunter who gave insight into the answer to that question. Wakulla County Neighbors discuss the harvest numbers for the 2025 Bear HuntBROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:In Florida's first bear hunt in over 10 years, only 52 bears were harvested out of the 172 tags issued. That's quite a drop from the over 300 bears harvested and almost 4,000 tags released in the 2015 hunt.I'm Serena Davanzo, your Crawfordville neighborhood reporter. I talked with neighbors about these numbers and what they think contributed to it.The FWC has released the final count of 52 bears harvested during the 2025 black bear hunt.These numbers come out as the FWC faced backlash, as kill numbers remained unreleased during the season. In Scripps previous reporting on the hunt, conservation groups said they had filed multiple public records requests about the current stats, and at that time, they were left unanswered.In a press release on December 30th, the FWC called this hunt a success rooted in sound scientific data."The limited number of permits issued in areas with the largest bear populations and other components of the hunt prioritized a conservative approach that ensures the long-term health of bear populations in Florida, while providing opportunity for hunters," said FWC Executive Director Roger Young.Also, saying that this conservative approach ensures the long-term health of bear populations.I followed up with neighbor Pete Scalco, who's a retired park ranger, about these numbers from the hunt. He says he's still concerned about the science that led to this hunt."Well, if there's too many bears, it's not good for their own population. So there's nothing wrong with hunting for population control, if it's scientifically based," said Pete Scalco, retired park ranger. "If there's not enough bears, then it's about habitat destruction, and hunting is not going to help that."He also questioned why only 52 bears were hunted in 3 weeks compared to the 2015 hunt that hit 304 bears killed in two days. However, I talked to local hunter Don Miley, who helped 2 hunters fill their tags, about why the number was so low."The biggest thing was it's it was so limited, like I me, I was deer hunting quite a bit, and I think I saw nine bears from a stand. I didn't have a tag, so those bears all got a pass," explained Don Miley, a hunter. "If I would have had a bear hunter with me, it would have been a different story, but I didn't. 10 years ago, if it was set up like 10 years ago, I could have bought a tag, which I would have, and I would have harvested a bear."During that bear hunting season, 3,776 permits were issued, as opposed to this hunt, which was 172. Miley also cited how the cooler temperatures and rain recently prompted the bears to go denning earlier than expected.There were also conservation groups like Spare the Bear, who obtained 43 tags to lessen the number of bears killed. Bear Warriors United also paid 14 hunters around 2,000 each to not use their permit, totaling at least 57 tags unused this hunt.The FWC says they'll evaluate the data from this year's hunt, and it'll be used to help shape future hunts.In Crawfordville, Serena Davanzo, ABC 27Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less