Most of the special permits to hunt Florida black bears in December have been claimed, a state wildlife spokesperson said this week, but more than three dozen are reportedly in the hands of hunt opponents, which may offer a reprieve to an equal number of bears.

The permits were distributed through a random lottery which cost $5 per entry. More than 160,000 entries were submitted, with application numbers bolstered by a vigorous effort from conservationists to undermine the planned 172-bear harvest, the state’s first in a decade.

Shannon Knowles, a spokesperson for the state Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, said 148 applicants who were notified last week of their selection have paid the bear permit fee — $100 for Florida residents, $300 for non-residents — to participate in the 23

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