Florida wildlife officials next week will hear a proposal to create an annual “limited-entry” black bear hunt, with a December hunting period the first in more than a decade.

Florida Wildlife officials recognize that residents may see more bears this time of year because most have come out of hibernation. “Black bears are not generally aggressive, but like any wild animal,

Lab results have connected one of three black bears killed by wildlife officers in southwest Florida to a fatal attack on a man and his dog a day earlier, officials said Friday.