The Florida black bear hunt scheduled to start Oct. 24 can go ahead despite complaints from animal protection groups that it could be harmful.
Leon County Judge George Reynolds refused a request by several groups to stop the hunt, saying that the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was within its right to schedule it and took the proper time and research to insure bear populations won't be put at risk.
The groups argued that the state didn't use current bear population figures and didn't use solid scientific methods to come up with the 320 bear hunt limit. They asked Reynolds to delay the hunt at least until an ongoing study of the bear population is completed sometime next year.
But wildlife officials testified the limit is well within reason.
