Florida's first black bear hunt since 2015 has lottery winners split between hunting and protesting

Florida's first black bear hunt in nearly a decade begins Saturday, with 172 people selected through a lottery system. While some view it as the hunting opportunity of a lifetime, others said they are using their selection to save bears by choosing not to hunt.

WATCH: Florida's first black bear hunt since 2015 has lottery winners split between hunting and protesting

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the controversial hunt in August after receiving more than 163,000 applications from over 19,000 people. Through a records request, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez learned that 31 people in the Tampa Bay viewing area were selected for the hunt, which goes from December 6 through December 28.

Among those selected are Nathaniel Miller from Lakeland, who pla