Registration for Florida’s upcoming bear hunt opens in two weeks, giving Marion County hunters access to several designated harvest zones in the local area.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that permit applications for the 2026 regulated black bear hunt will open at 10 a.m. on September 11 and run through September 21 at 11:59 p.m.
Applicants for the bear hunt must be at least 18 years old by October 1 to enter the random drawing. Each five-dollar entry can be submitted online or in person at local tax collector offices.
This marks the second consecutive harvest season following a decade-long moratorium, with the general statewide hunt set for December 5 through December 27 and a private lands season running from October 1 through December 31…