State wildlife officials next week will hear a proposal to create an annual “limited-entry” black bear hunt, with a December hunting period the first in more than a decade.
A summary of the proposal was posted online Wednesday in advance of a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting next week at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
“Managing (bear) population growth is important to balance species numbers with suitable habitat and maintain a healthy population,” according to the summary by Hunting and Game Management Director Morgan Richardson.
The proposal would allow the first hunt since October 2015 to run from the first Saturday in December through the last Sunday in December, with future hunts held each year between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
In 2015, 304 bears were killed in two days after permits were distributed to anyone who paid.
The new proposal includes issuing permits through a random draw. The number of permits would be based on factors such as female bear survival and mortality data that would include prior year “hunting success rates.” Hunting would be allowed within what are known as “bear management units” that have at least 200 bears.
Bear hunting has long been a controversial issue in Florida. Supporters say, in part, a hunt could help better manage bear populations as the animals interact with humans. They also point to a voter-approved ballot measure in November that enshrined hunting and fishing rights in the state Constitution.
Opponents have argued that hunting doesn’t reduce human-bear interactions and say the state should use non-lethal options to address bear populations. They say unsecured trash continues to be a lure for bears on residential and commercial properties.
The commission on Friday confirmed an 89-year old Collier County man was the first recorded fatal victim of a bear attack in Florida. The state has recorded 42 incidents since the 1970s of wild bears making physical contact with people.
