Florida’s first bear hunt in a decade will take place as scheduled next month after a state judge on Monday denied a motion by a conservation group to stop it from taking place.

Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey denied the temporary preliminary injunction sought by Bear Warriors United, which argued the hunt authorization was based on outdated data and will harm the bear population in Florida — right now estimated at around 4,050.

The group filed a lawsuit in September seeking to stop the 23-day hunt, after it was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in August and is scheduled to take place from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28.

“I’m going to find here that the plaintiff has not met their burden on substantial likelihood of success on the merits,” Judge Demp

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