As calls grow for Florida to reintroduce bear hunting for the first time in nearly a decade, state wildlife officials are set to review the Florida black bear management plan this week.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will discuss the plan during a Wednesday meeting in Lakeland. According to Melissa Tucker, the agency’s habitat and species conservation director, the state’s black bear population exceeds 4,000, and the FWC fields over 6,000 bear-related calls annually.
Managing Human-Bear Conflicts
Tucker’s memo highlights efforts to reduce human-bear conflicts, emphasizing that securing garbage is key. “Studies show that when bears do not have access to garbage, residents experience significantly fewer interactions with bears overall,” she wrote.
For cases where bears or people are at risk, the FWC staff captures and relocates or removes the bears. However, human-bear interactions remain a challenge, with an average of 300 bears killed annually by vehicles and one person injured by a bear each year in Florida.
New Bear Self-Defense Law
A law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in June has intensified the debate over bear management. The legislation strengthens self-defense protections for people who kill bears on their property. Under the law, individuals must report the incident to the FWC within 24 hours and are barred from possessing or selling bear carcasses. Legal immunity does not apply if the person provoked or lured the bear.
The measure, championed by Rep. Jason Shoaf (R-Port St. Joe) and Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee), gained traction after Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith described his community as “overrun by the bear population.”
Concerns Over Bear Hunting
While supporters see the law as a necessary tool for managing bear populations and ensuring public safety, opponents warn it could lead to a rise in bear deaths. Critics are particularly concerned about the implications for a species that was once classified as threatened in Florida.
The Path Forward
The FWC’s review of the 2019 black bear management plan could provide insights into how Florida addresses these issues, balancing the needs of wildlife conservation with public safety. Whether this leads to a return of bear hunting remains to be seen.
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