TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - Florida will open its first bear hunting season in a decade Saturday, marking a significant shift in the state’s wildlife management approach.

The 23-day bear hunting season begins after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the hunt several months ago. FWC officials said the hunt is designed to help manage a growing bear population.

Wildlife officials estimate more than 4,000 black bears now live in Florida. A constitutional amendment approved last year makes hunting Florida’s preferred wildlife management method.

The decision has drawn opposition from animal advocacy groups, who say they will continue fighting the policy.

“The effort could be put on making bear-wise communities, and how we can cohabitate

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