MARION COUNTY, Fla. – It looks more likely that Florida will have a black bear hunt this year.
Wednesday afternoon, the state’s wildlife commission gave its preliminary approval of the rules that have been laid out for the proposed hunt that would take place in December.
There was only one dissenting vote from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after they listened to around hours of public comments at a meeting in Ocala and asked their own questions.
FWC staff said there is a sufficient bear population to allow for a sustainable hunt. They estimate there are around 4,000 black bears in Florida. In the 1970s, there were just several hundred bears. The agency states online that it is “one of Florida’s most successful conservation efforts.”
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“The resurgence of the Florida black bear is not just a victory for conservationists; it’s a win for all Floridians,” said Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the FWC. “Hunting is a biologically sound method to slow population growth, resulting in a healthy and well-managed Florida black bear population for the future.”
Before any public comment was heard, the Commission was given a presentation on the proposed rules. 187 permits -- 18 in Central Florida — would be granted via random drawing. FWC would also establish zones for the hunt, which would last 23 days in December.
A permit would cost $100 for a Florida resident and $300 for a nonresident.
George Warthen, the agency’s chief conservation officer, told commissioners that no cubs or females with cubs are allowed to be taken. Hunters who are granted permits would also be allowed to use methods including dog hunting, bow hunting, and feed stations.
“This is one of the things that people who are opposed to bear hunting are most opposed to is archery hunting, but we have many hunters here in the state that use bows to hunt,” said FWC’s HGM Director Morgan Richardson. “In the last bear hunt, the overwhelming majority of bears were taken with modern firearms, and that is what we would expect here.”
The last time there was a bear hunting season in Florida was in 2015. Richardson said many of the changes outlined this time around will encourage hunters to take males rather than female bears.
“In 2015, the hunt was what we would term a derby. So 3,000 people purchased a permit, and we had a season that would close when we got to a quota. So it closed in two days,” said Richardson. “Hunters were incentivized by that style of hunt to shoot the very first bear they saw because they might not have a chance to harvest a bear. So by issuing hard tags, 187 of them, and having a longer season, it gives hunters an opportunity to be more selective in their harvest. So if they see a smaller bear, which might be a female, they can wait and select a larger bear, which is more likely to be a male.”
Richardson also said feeding stations will allow hunters to observe a bear before they take it.
“When a bear comes to a feeding station you can judge the size of it. Most females weigh 250 pounds or less. Most are much smaller than that. Most males are larger than that,” said Richardson. “When they’re at the feeder, hunters can see them for an extended period of time and judge their size, and they’re less likely to take females and particularly less likely to take females with cubs.”
Around 170 people signed up to participate in three hours of public comments before the vote. While supporters of a hunt said they agree there are enough bears to harvest a certain number and continue to have the population increase, opponents call it a “trophy hunt.”
“What’s important is that we understand what stressors are on the bear habitats as well as the bear numbers, before we conduct a hunt,” said Sarah Younger, Sierra Club Florida Chapter. ”Obviously, without that information, it’s not a scientific study. It’s actually a trophy hunt.”
“I drove six and a half hours,” said one man. “When you allow a hunt with dogs, no check points, and baiting, that’s not conservation; that’s assassination.”
Another man who spoke out against the bear hunt traveled to Ocala from Seminole County, where the number of human and bear interactions has actually declined over the last decade. He agreed with many who feel there are other ways to manage the bears, and believe unsecured trash and urban sprawl are the problem, not overpopulation.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, who spoke first, said his agency has tracked 107 human-bear interactions in the last 9 months. He spoke in favor of the hunt and said he has seen many challenges in his county where growth has led to encounters between wildlife and his citizens.
A final vote is expected at a commission meeting in August.
5a Rl Options for a Black Bear Hunt by Anthony Talcott on Scribd