Fla. Admin. Code R. 68A-12.012
No individual shall harvest bears from the wild within the state of Florida except as provided herein. The Commission finds that Florida’s bear population can sustain bear harvest. Accordingly, as set forth herein, the Commission creates a limited-entry hunting opportunity for appropriate bear populations in current Bear Management Units, as defined in Rule 68A-4.009, F.A.C. This rule sets the criteria for how Bear Harvest Zones will be established, the criteria for determining the number of special-use bear harvest permits that will be issued per Bear Harvest Zone, the requirements of permit holders, and the creation of a Private Lands Bear Harvest Program.
(1) Establishment of Bear Harvest Zones and the number of Bear Harvest Permits:
(c) The number of Bear Harvest Permits issued shall be established annually by the Executive Director, or designee, and shall be based upon parameters specific to each Bear Management Unit to ensure a sustainable population using the following:
1. Bear population and demographic estimates;
2. Documented total mortality of adult female bears; and
3. Bear hunting success rates.
(2) Application, selection, issuance of Bear Harvest Permits, and restrictions:
(a) Individuals may apply for a Bear Harvest Permit through the Commission’s online licensing system (available at: https://GoOutdoorsFlorida.com). The Commission shall give notice of the designated application times and dates each year electronically at: https://www.MyFWC.com/Bear.
1. Applicants may submit more than one application. Applicants will be chosen for a Bear Harvest Permit for a specific Bear Harvest Zone by random drawing.
2. Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee, as established by paragraph 68A-9.007(2)(b), F.A.C., per application submitted. Applicants selected in the random drawing must pay the permit fee, as established by paragraph 68A-9.007(2)(b), F.A.C., for the issuance of a Bear Harvest Permit by the deadline indicated on the invoice. Selected applicants who fail to pay the fees by the deadline forfeit their permit to the next applicant selected for that specific Bear Harvest Zone.
3. Permits will be limited to one Bear Harvest Permit per individual.
4. Applicants must:
a. Be 18 years of age or older by October 1 of the application year; and,
b. Have complied with all tagging and reporting requirements associated with any bear harvest permit issued to the applicant in any year.
(c) One bear harvest tag shall be issued with each Bear Harvest Permit.
1. Bear harvest tags issued under this subsection shall remain the property of the Commission until affixed as provided herein.
2. Only a Bear Harvest Permit holder may possess a bear harvest tag.
3. Unused bear harvest tags shall be returned by the permit holder to the Commission no later than 14 days after the expiration date of the Bear Harvest Permit. It shall be a violation of this section for any individual to possess unused bear harvest tags beyond 14 days after the expiration date of the Bear Harvest Permit.
(3) Bear hunting requirements:
(b) Unpermitted guests may participate in the taking of bears as follows:
1. When the Bear Harvest Permit holder is present on the property where the take of bear is occurring.
2. Guest hunters must be licensed and permitted as required by section 379.354, F.S., unless exempt pursuant to section 379.353, F.S.
3. The guest(s) and Bear Harvest Permit holder must share the Bear Harvest Permit bag limit.
4. The Bear Harvest Permit holder shall be responsible for ensuring that all parties comply with the bag limit.
5. One guest hunter is allowed per Bear Harvest Permit holder hunting without dogs.
6. Up to nine guest hunters are allowed per Bear Harvest Permit holder hunting with dogs.
(e) Use of dogs:
1. Dogs on leash may be used for trailing a shot bear.
2. Effective July 1, 2026, dogs may be used to pursue bears during the bear dog training seasons established in subsection 68A-12.007(6), F.A.C.
3. Effective July 1, 2027, dogs may be used to pursue bears during the bear dog training seasons established in subsection 68A-12.007(6), F.A.C., and under a Bear Harvest Permit.
4. The use of dogs to pursue bears shall comply with the requirements of Rule 68A-12.007, F.A.C.
5. No more than six dogs at any one time may be used to pursue bears.
6. Dogs may be used to pursue bears on privately-owned property only if the property has been registered as provided in subsection 68A-12.007(3), F.A.C.
(4) Bear harvest tagging, reporting, and sampling requirements.
(c) Harvest reporting requirements shall apply to any individual who harvests a bear under this Rule and does not apply to bears taken under Rule 68A-4.009, F.A.C., or under permits issued pursuant to Rule 68A-9.002, F.A.C.
1. Each bear harvested shall be reported using the Commission’s harvest reporting system (available at: https://GoOutdoorsFlorida.com and through the Fish|Hunt Florida app on Apple and Android devices) under the customer ID number of the individual who harvested the bear. Reporting must occur within 24 hours of harvest, prior to final processing, prior to the bear or any portions or parts thereof being transferred to another party, and prior to leaving the state.
2. Upon report, the Commission’s harvest reporting system will provide a confirmation number.
3. After reporting through the Commission’s harvest reporting system, but prior to that bear being transferred to any other party, the bear, or portions or parts thereof, must be labeled with the first and last name of the harvester and the harvest reporting confirmation number. Such labeling shall remain on the bear, or portions or parts thereof, until final processing or until stored at the domicile of its possessor.
(5) Bear processing and parts.
(d) Bear legally taken may be stored in public cold storage, refrigerators, freezers or coolers or a processing facility when packaged or labeled and clearly marked with the owner’s name and, if a license is required, license number or customer ID number.
1. Any harvested bear, or portions or parts thereof, subject to the harvest reporting provisions of subsection (4) above, shall also have the Commission’s harvest reporting system confirmation number recorded on the label by the harvester, and any bear, or portions or parts thereof, legally taken out-of-state shall also have the telephone number of the individual taking or acquiring such bear and the state of harvest recorded on the label. Such labeling shall remain on the bear, or portions or parts thereof, until final processing or until stored at the domicile of its possessor.
2. As an alternative to labeling, the owner of any public cold storage, refrigerators, freezers or coolers or a processing facility may use a logbook and numbering or other tracking system. The logbook shall contain the same information required of the aforementioned label. The logbook shall be kept on the premises for inspection by a Commission Law Enforcement Officer and retained while a bear, or parts thereof, recorded therein are on the premises.
3. The owner, operator, or lessee of public cold storage, refrigerators, freezers or coolers or a processing facility are not subject to possession limits described in paragraph (3)(g), above, for any bear legally taken by another and stored in their facility.
(6) Beginning January 1, 2026, the Commission hereby creates a Private Lands Bear Harvest Program (Program) to permit landowners to bear hunt on their properties. A landowner may apply for a Program permit issued by the Executive Director, or designee, to allow for the take of bear on a specified private property from October 1 through December 31.
(a) Program enrollment application must meet the following criteria:
1. The property identified in the Program enrollment application must be at least 5,000 contiguous acres, with no less than 50% of the identified acres being suitable bear habitat. Adjoining properties that form, in aggregate, one contiguous piece of land that together satisfies the acreage requirement and have no less than 50% of the identified acres being suitable bear habitat qualify for Program enrollment.
2. Only the owner of the property, the lessee of the property, or an individual who has written permission from the landowner may submit an application. Applications shall include:
a. A written description of the property boundaries;
b. The total acreage of the property;
c. The name, street or physical address, and telephone number for the applicant and the landowner(s);
d. The signature of the landowner(s) or legal agent of the landowner(s) providing permission to enroll their property in the Program; and
e. Other information pertaining to the proposed activity necessary for permit issuance and enforcement of this subsection.
(b) Permit issuance requirements:
1. An applicant must submit a written Bear Habitat Management Plan (BHMP) developed or approved by a Certified Wildlife Biologist (CWB; certified by The Wildlife Society 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20816) or developed through the Commission’s Landowner Assistance Program.
2. An applicant must submit an annual bear population survey demonstrating the number of individual adult bears using the property between August 1 and December 31. The survey must be verified by a Certified Wildlife Biologist and shall not include any bears observed within 300 feet of the property’s boundary described in the application.
3. An applicant must include a minimum of four qualifying conservation activities (active habitat management, wildlife management or conservation-related activities for youth) annually indicating those activities affect at least 10% of the property during the Program enrolled period. Conservation-related activities for youth may only account for one of the four qualifying conservation activities required.
4. Commission personnel shall review the application and approve or deny based on whether it is complete and includes the required proposed conservation activities and population data. If approved, the property will be enrolled in the Program and a permit issued in the name of the applicant. Only one permit will be issued for the property described in the application. As a condition of annual permit renewal, the property must be managed consistent with the BHMP, and the conservation activities must be performed substantially as proposed.
5. Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 68A-4.009, F.A.C., no individual may harvest a bear on property enrolled in the Program except as provided for by permit issued under this paragraph:
(c) Permitted activities:
1. The Commission shall furnish one bear harvest tag for a property 5,000 to 14,999 acres that submit population data demonstrating at least five individual bears using the property, up to two (2) bear harvest tags for a property 15,000 to 24,999 acres that submit population data demonstrating at least 10 individual bears using the property, and a maximum of three bear harvest tags will be issued for a property 25,000 acres or more that submit population data demonstrating at least 15 individual bears using the property.
a. Bear harvest tags issued under this subsection shall remain the property of the Commission until affixed as provided herein.
b. Any unused bear harvest tag shall be returned by the permittee to the Commission no later than 14 days after the expiration date of the Program permit. It shall be a violation of this section for any individual to possess any unused bear harvest tag issued pursuant to this section 14 days after the expiration date of the permit.
2. The general methods and prohibitions of take for bear are as provided in Rule 68A-12.002, F.A.C.
3. Use of dogs:
a. Dogs on leash may be used for trailing a shot bear.
b. Effective July 1, 2026, dogs may be used to pursue bears during the bear dog training seasons established in subsection 68A-12.007(6), F.A.C.
c. Effective July 1, 2027, dogs may be used to pursue bears during the bear dog training seasons established in subsection 68A-12.007(6), F.A.C., and under a Program permit.
d. All dogs used to pursue bears shall comply with the requirements of Rule 68A-12.007, F.A.C.
e. No more than six (6) dogs at any one time may be used to pursue bears.
f. Dogs may be used to pursue bears only if the property has been registered as provided in subsection 68A-12.007(3), F.A.C.
4. Any individual taking bear under a Program permit issued under this subsection must be licensed as required by section 379.354, F.S., unless exempt under section 379.353, F.S.
5. Each bear harvested under a Program permit shall be tagged with a bear harvest tag issued with the permit prior to moving the bear from the point of recovery. The tag shall be locked through the skin of the carcass. The possession of any bear not tagged as prescribed herein is prohibited, and such bear shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture to the Commission under the provisions of section 379.3311, F.S. The harvest tag shall remain locked on the carcass until the bear is reported using the Commission’s harvest reporting system and shall remain locked and attached to the bear skin until the skin is tanned, taxidermy mounted or exported from the state. The harvest tag may not be altered to compromise the locking mechanism in any way and shall be used only once.
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., History – New 9-16-25.