Florida Will Have Its First Black Bear Hunt in a Decade

The 5-0 vote in favor of the hunt is a striking rebuke to anti-hunting groups that have lobbied for months to block it. Today’s meeting saw testimony from an equal number of supporters and opponents, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, but opponents came armed with cute pictures of bears and signs reading “I am not your trophy” and “Wounded, hunted, forgotten.”

“This hunt is unnecessary and cruel unless you show us scientific data. And just as disturbing is the inclusion of cruel (techniques) such as hounding, baiting, and archery. It’s just inhumane,” bear hunt opponent Marsha Biggs said.

Supporters, which included county commissioners and local law enforcement, testified about the problems bears have caused in some parts of the state. Bears have been reported on porches and in homes and schools as they rummage through garbage and come in close proximity to children.

In May of this year, Florida experienced its first fatal black bear attack when a bear killed an 89-year-old man and his dog. At one point, the bruin appeared to have entered the man’s home.

Biologists with the Commission reported that the bear population has been growing in recent decades. The population increased by 50% between 2002 and 2015, and recently completed demographic studies indicate stable or increasing numbers in the four largest bear subpopulations. There are an estimated 4,000 bears living in the state today.

What’s more, bears have expanded their occupied range from 17% to 51% in Florida since 1992.

This year’s hunt will run from December 6 through 28 and offer 187 permits awarded by lottery. The approved rules stipulate that no more than 10% of each year’s permits will be available to nonresidents, with the remaining reserved for Floridians.

The rules establish seven bear management units. Within those units are four bear hunt zones, and each permit allows the holder to take a single bear within the specified zone. There is a $5 entry fee, and would-be hunters can purchase as many entries as they want. If selected, residents will have to pay $100 for a permit, and non-residents will be charged $300.

Hunting with dogs and over bait will be permitted within certain parameters outlined in the new rules.

The rules also create a bear management program for landowners with more than 5,000 acres. These landowners will be eligible to receive a bear permit, but they must conduct certain conservation activities and submit a bear habitat management plan developed by a wildlife biologist, among other stipulations.

Moving forward, state biologists will continue to monitor the population closely and issue permits based on what they find. Specifically, the rules state that permits will be issued based on bear population and demographic estimates, documented total mortality of adult female bears, and bear hunting success rates.

Despite today’s defeat, anti-hunting forces are still working to block this year’s hunt. A coalition of animal rights groups called Bear Warriors United is suing the FWC on the grounds that the agency improperly took black bears off the state’s threatened species list in 2012.

“They did this in an incorrect fashion because when you de-list a species, you’re supposed to take into account threats to habitat and future threats to habitat – which the FWC did not do,” said Katrina Shadix, the group’s founder. “And we all know that Florida is facing a crisis right now with deforestation and urban sprawl.”

Others have said they plan to purchase as many entries as possible and then not use the permits if they are selected.

MeatEater’s Clay Newcomb isn’t letting opponents of responsible bear management get him down.

“Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have predicted that we’d be gaining ground in the bear management world, though I preached its virtues from every pulpit I could stand in,” he said. “This decision will be good for bears, bear habitat, and the people of Florida. I truly love bears and want to see them thrive. I hope we can persuade those with concerns about the hunt, and bring them onto the side of science-based wildlife management. This is huge.”