ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In spite of opposition from wildlife advocates, the first black bear hunt in Florida since 2015 , will run from Dec. 6 through Dec. 28, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

As the hunt kicked off this weekend, 172 permits were granted to hunters in four out of the seven Bear Management Units of the state, areas where grantees will be able to hunt one bear each. The Tampa Bay area is not part of the areas designated for bear hunting.

According to the FWC, these should only happen within designated areas within the Bear Management Units, such as private properties and the so-called " bear harvest zones ."

"The goal of the Plan is to maintain sustainable black bear populations in suitable habitats throughout Florida for the

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