The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rules for the state’s first bear hunt in more than a decade. The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.

Early Wednesday morning, multiple agencies worked together to rescue three people from the St. Augustine Inlet after their boat capsized.

A 27-year-old woman was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after an alligator bit her and briefly pulled her under water during a boat outing in Martin County, according to the county’s sheriff’s office.

A multi-agency search was underway Tuesday morning for at least one person who fell into the St. Johns River Monday night while shrimping in Palatka, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Five people were rescued Sunday afternoon after their boat caught fire in the Julington Creek and St. Johns River area.

Friday marks the first day of the two-day red snapper season in the Atlantic. News4JAX spent the day on the water with members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and the American Sportfishing Association (ASA).

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sending a reminder that nesting season is underway for sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds.

A Ponte Vedra Beach man shared his experience of what it was like to wake up to an alligator swimming in his pool over the weekend.

Edward McClamma sent pictures and video to News4JAX on Sunday of an alligator in his pool, showing the gator swimming around before eventually resting on the pool’s entry steps.

A tragic tubing accident in Putnam County left one child dead and another injured on Tuesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The recreational harvest of snook in the Northeast management region, including all state and inland waters as well as adjacent federal waters, will close on June 1, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a reminder sent Wednesday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission picked up a 300-pound dead bear after it was struck by a car on I-95 near 210 in St. Johns County on Wednesday.

Amid support from hunters and warnings of a “slaughter” from animal-rights advocates, state wildlife officials Wednesday moved forward with Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade.

Videos of a black bear

In response to what Florida officials have referred to as the state’s “most successful conservation efforts,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has begun creating proposals for a potential bear hunt later this year.

Recent activity in Florida is serving as a reminder of the state’s abundant wildlife while also providing an opportunity for residents to be reminded of safety protocols if they were to encounter animals such as black bears or coyotes.

Drivers on I-95 and I-295 Sunday were met by a strange sight— a barefoot man wrestling a giant alligator in the median.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday that this year’s Gulf Red Snapper season will be extended to 126 days, starting on Memorial Day weekend.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Tuesday morning in Naples to highlight the efforts to restore natural resources across the state, while continuing to express his disapproval for the House of Representatives’ budget proposal.

Almost five days after a vessel capsized on the St. Johns River, crews continue to look for a child who remained unaccounted for as of Wednesday afternoon.

Searchers continue to look for a child who remains unaccounted for nearly 60 hours after a vessel capsized on the St. Johns River near the Dames Point Bridge, sending eight people into the water.

A Jacksonville man is sharing his concerns after discovering several dead fish at a pond near his home.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is hosting its annual Art Fish Contest.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission joined community partners on Friday to celebrate the grand opening of the new Harter Pier at Lake Montgomery Fish Management Area.

For years, waterway users in Florida have had to juggle multiple sources of information to plan, prepare and navigate safely to enjoy their time on the water.

A new University of Florida study focusing on manatees’ immune systems reveals how glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used herbicide, may threaten manatee health in an environment increasingly impacted by human activities.

The first North Atlantic right whale calf of the season has been spotted off the coast of the Carolinas, raising optimism about the future of this critically endangered species.

A group of Northeast Florida fishermen is voicing frustration over what they call “cronyism” in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) permit system for red snapper fishing.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced Tuesday it recovered 37 gold coins stolen from the 1715 fleet shipwrecks, worth over $1 million.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced a 17-day extension to Florida’s 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational fishing season, allowing families and visitors additional opportunities to fish during the holiday season.

On Wednesday, the FWC announced that it is offering a 50% discount on select hunting and fishing licenses through Jan. 3, 2025, including the annual and five-year Gold Sportsman license, along with the Youth Lifetime Sportsman licenses.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Northwest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Team was awarded for their dedication to enforcing the federal fishing regulations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fishing and hunting being a constitutional right may be considered the most “Florida thing” ever—and on Election Day, Floridians surely proved that after voting and approving Amendment 2- Right to Fish and Hunt, by 67 percent.

University of Florida researchers’ new outreach strategy resulted in an increase in reports of invasive species for the state.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that fall is the perfect time to evict bats from your home.

A dwarf sperm whale with a large plastic bag in its stomach was euthanized after it was washed ashore on Butler Beach in St. Augustine in September.

Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $1 million to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Foundation Monday in Steinhatchee to help fishing communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton.

A new state report shows that 475 manatees had died in 2024 in Florida as of Oct. 11.

The St. Johns River is one of several rivers across Florida that is still experiencing significant flooding because of Hurricane Milton.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue said multiple units are searching for a missing swimmer in the area of Micklers Beach Saturday afternoon.

FWC says bear activity increases in the fall and that means more chances for you to have a bear encounter.

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police officer was arrested and accused of boating under the influence Wednesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.

Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) is giving anglers the opportunity to directly provide data and improve the management of red snapper in the South Atlantic ocean.

As we enjoy our beaches and shorelines this Fourth of July weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sharing a reminder that nesting season is underway for our state’s imperiled sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds and wading birds.

Organizations dedicated to helping bears in Florida spoke against Governor Ron DeSantis signing a bill that makes it easier to shoot and kill bears in self-defense.

Florida, known as the “Fishing Capital of the World,” boasts more world record fish catches than any other state or country due to its vast bodies of water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sends an annual reminder that black bears may be in unexpected places.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released video showing Officers Kopp and Johnson removing a small alligator from the 104-year-old woman's home near Atlantic Boulevard and Art Museum Drive.

Flagler County officials warn against feeding alligators and other wildlife after a social media post showed children feeding a gator at Wadsworth Park.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said charges are imminent for two teenagers who were on board a boat where they were caught on camera dumping garbage cans into the ocean in South Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission invites people of all ages and skill levels to its freshwater license-free fishing weekend on April 6 and 7.

Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. Now that the weather’s getting warmer, Floridians and out-of-towners alike are flocking to Florida’s beaches, lakes, and parks to experience nature and enjoy the sunshine. However, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has warned vacationers to be weary of alligators.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is now offering a website that offers an easier way for nature lovers to plan their excursions.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new rule changes for the 2024-2025 hunting seasons and a new special-use alligator harvest opportunity.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced the manatee population in Florida appears to be on the rebound.

Severe thunderstorms are expected throughout north and central Florida on Tuesday with 25-35 mph sustained winds and frequent gusts of 45-55 mph.

Two Jacksonville men died after they were found floating in the water Thursday morning near the Nassau Sound Bridge.

A necropsy report for the young dolphin seen in a photo being held out of the water by someone last month has been released.

A dolphin seen hoisted from the water in a picture posted on Instagram is believed to have died, according to two people involved.

A photo of a North Florida angler holding a dolphin several feet out of the water is prompting outrage online and investigations by state and federal agencies. A marine biologist told News4JAX his first reaction to seeing that picture was horror. It’s not clear exactly where that photo was taken but harassing or feeding wild dolphins is against federal law.

Not many boaters were on the water on Wednesday, but that will change this weekend.Local law enforcement agencies are bringing awareness to boating safety and manatee safety as the summer boating season approaches.

Meteorologist Katie Garner got a chance to go out with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to see the issues they deal with firsthand on the St. Johns River.

The alligator was released back into the wild. No shoppers or employees were hurt during the encounter.

Charges have been dropped against a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer who was accused of three counts of child porn possession in St. Johns County.

It's spring, and that means black bears in Florida will be more active, including moms and their cubs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some advice to help you avoid bear conflicts.

A report filed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reveals new information in the Dec. 21 incident at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in which a zookeeper was mauled by an American black bear.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission performed a necropsy on a whale that washed ashore at Hanna Park in Jacksonville, but the report does not reveal to researchers how the whale died.

Captain Bud Brasier told News4JAX he spotted the humpback whale in the St. Mary’s Channel on Saturday, Jan. 7 around 11 a.m.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a whale washed up Wednesday morning on the beach at Hanna Park.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reported four calves off the coast of Florida and Georgia so far this season.

Three adult male manatees rescued from waters in the Florida Keys earlier this year have been returned to a Keys canal after being treated and rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has established a hotline for reporting displaced vessels still on Florida state waters because of Hurricane Ian.

When a tropical storm or hurricane affects Florida, boat owners and operators have to worry about more than just their homes and families.

The Nassau County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to allocate $77,500 for removal of four derelict/abandoned vessels.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved new redfish regulations and management regions for state waters Wednesday, including decreases in per-person bag and vessel limits.

So far, just in the area of Naval Station Mayport, 21 Loggerhead nests have been spotted.

It’s National Safe Boating Week — and officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are reminding boaters to play it safe on the water.

Two teenagers got a bull shark from a stranger who caught it in Mayport last week and then they gutted it and stored the dead fish with ice overnight at a friend’s house before hoisting it from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School as a senior prank, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission obtained Wednesday by News4JAX.

The FWC approved increasing hunting hours and adding precharged pneumatic airbows to the legal methods of “taking” an alligator.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved regulation changes for cobia and redfish in state waters and a temporary modification to the 2022 recreational blueline tilefish season in Atlantic state waters.

Florida anglers this year will have extra days to fish for Gulf red snapper under an expanded season.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking Florida residents and visitors to help keep manatees safe, especially while out on the water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission needs the community’s help tracking a virus that is killing freshwater turtles in Florida.

A North Atlantic right whale calf was spotted off Cumberland Island on Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports.

A team with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed a North Atlantic right whale named “Snow Cone,” and her calf, are swimming their way through Northeast Florida waters.

Florida’s recreational red snapper quota in Gulf state and federal waters was met during the June 4 through July 28 open season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Friday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has introduced a video outlining new rules to protect Florida deer populations by reducing the risk of chronic wasting disease or CWD from spreading into the state.

New this year, biologists will also ask permission to take a small piece of fin tissue from harvested fish for a large-scale genetics study to help estimate the total number of red snapper in the Atlantic population.

The FWC is cracking down on boaters under the influence as part of a statewide initiative called Operation Dry Water.

The search for a 34-year-old man who fell of a boat late Sunday afternoon in Black Creek resumed at 8:30 a.m. Monday as a recovery mission, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

It’s the final day of “National Boating Safety Week” and if you plan to get out on the water for the holiday weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a warning for you.

Flounder regulations change at the end of the monthJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FWC’s discussed changes regarding flounder fishing will go into effect at the end of the month. Starting March 1, the following changes will go into effect for flounder:Extending ALL Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) flounder regulations into federal waters. Increasing the minimum size limit from 12 inches to 14 inches total length (recreational and commercial). October-November is a popular time to fish for flounder in the St Johns River and surrounding areas. Several fishing tournaments that target flounder will also need to move to a time of year that it is legal to catch flounder.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Six days after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a boater who disappeared on the St. Johns River last week, a body was discovered Thursday in the water north of the Buckman Bridge. According to a spokesperson for the FWC, the lead agency in the search, FWC and Clay County personnel recovered the body and took it to the Mulberry Cove Boat Ramp at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Authorities have not yet said if the body found in the river Thursday is 20-year-old Michael Vaughn III, of St. Augustine, who disappeared on the river last week. But a family friend told News4Jax it’s him. The search began when an off-duty police officer spotted the boat spinning aimlessly in a circle in the St. Johns River just before 8 a.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you like fishing in The Keys, you may want to join a virtual meeting with FWC. The first of three online workshops to gather public input on a seasonal fishing closure in a 1-square-mile area near Western Dry Rocks will be tonight starting at 6 p.m. Instructions on how to join the meeting will be posted online at MyFWC.com/Marine. The protection of spawning aggregations, in combination with traditional management approaches (e.g., size limits, bag limits and vessel limits), represents a comprehensive conservation strategy aimed at sustaining and enhancing fish populations. Learn more at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Rulemaking: Submit a Comment/Attend a Workshop” and “Upcoming Public Workshops.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A dead 14-foot pygmy sperm whale washed ashore on Ponte Vedra Beach on Thursday morning behind the Sawgrass Beach Club. “Pygmy sperm whales are a common strander down here, actually, and they are an offshore species,” FWC marine mammal biologist Nadia Gordon said. “They feed a lot on squid, so when they are found near the shore or on the beach, there’s a problem -- something going on. There’s a reason they are stranding.”During low tide, the whale was removed from the beach. “Our agency will look at the animal, doing an external work up initially to see what’s going on potentially and then, likely, a necropsy to look internally and see what’s going on,” Gordon said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some stinky news! The FWC launched a new community science project aimed at learning more about Florida’s skunk populations. The Sunshine State is home to two species of skunks, the striped skunk and the smaller eastern spotted skunk. “There’s still a lot we don’t know about skunks in Florida,” FWC Mammal Conservation Coordinator Terry Doonan said. Your information will help inform future skunk research and habitat management practices.”To report a skunk sighting, click here.

Poachers set as many as 10,000 squirrel traps in central Florida and captured as many as 3,600 flying squirrels over a three-year period. "Buyers from South Korea would travel to the United States and purchase the flying squirrels from the wildlife dealer in Bushnell. The international retail value of the poached flying squirrels is estimated to be more than $1 million. The Florida suspects also illegally shipped protected freshwater turtles and alligators from Tampa to Los Angeles, where California authorities intercepted the reptiles, the agency said. "These poachers could have severely damaged Florida’s wildlife populations,” said Maj. Grant Burton, who leads the Florida wildlife commission’s investigation section.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Oct 15th marks the opening of stone crab season, meaning that a few days later we can enjoy the tasty delicacy. Florida’s stone crab fishery has experienced a long-term decline in harvest and is likely undergoing overfishing. FWC staff worked with stakeholders on these changes that are intended to increase the stone crab population and build resiliency in the fishery. All plastic and wood stone crab traps will need to be outfitted with a 2 3/16-inch escape ring before the 2023/2024 season. For more information on harvesting stone crabs for recreation, trap specifications, commercial stone crab regulations and licensing information, go online to MyFWC.com/Marine.

An 18-foot, 9-inch Burmese python captured in South Florida is a new record, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The python was caught by members of the FWC Python Action Team and the South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program. Credit for the capture of the behemoth snake -- which weighed 104 pounds -- goes to Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis. FWC said the removal of the female snake was a “triumph for our native wildlife and habitats.”The FWC partners with the SFWMD to remove nonnative pythons from the environment. Find out more about the Python Action Team: MyFWC.com/Python.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rejected a request Wednesday to cancel the upcoming mini-lobster season over concerns about crowds spreading COVID-19. However, commissioners expressed concern that numerous public boat ramps will be closed in the upper Keys. Whats a little bit alarming, although we have not canceled mini season, is the fact that in Islamorada and everything north, including Monroe County, public marinas for boat ramps are being closed, Commissioner Rodney Barreto said. Spottswood said he intends to address the boat ramp issue with Monroe County officials. Thats just going to push folks to other ramps and create further congestion, Spottswood said.