This is the first black bear hunt since 2015, when nearly 300 bears were killed on the first two days of a week-long season.

Black bear numbers have grown steadily after being classified as a “threatened” animal from 1974 to 2012 in the state. There are now an estimated 4,000 bears in Florida. The decision comes after preliminary approval that was given in May—the same month that Florida saw its first fatal black bear attack in Florida— the mauling of 89-year-old Robert Markel in the unincorporated town of Collier County in Jerome,