Florida wildlife officials open up black bear hunts

Florida wildlife officials moved forward Wednesday with a proposal to allow black bear hunting for the first time in more than two decades.

"The Florida black bear is a conservation success story in Florida," said Brian Yablonski, vice chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "They're moving toward us as we're moving toward them."

Commissioners unanimously approved moving ahead with opening black bears up to hunting. The proposal would come back for a final vote in June.

Proponents of the hunts say they're needed to control a bear population that endangers the public. Those against the hunts pushed for more bear-proof trash containers, better public education and other management tools. They said the hunts won't reduce bear-human conflicts, could undo progress made restoring the bear population and are based on insufficient data.

The proposal would allow bear hunting Oct. 24-30, timing the season to coincide with high bear activity and before denning begins, and when cubs would be old enough to survive on their own.

Hunters could kill one bear — a 100-pound minimum — per season. They could use the same firearms allowed in deer hunting, as well as archery equipment.

To reduce conflicts with humans, FWC proposes to allow reducing the black bear population by 20 percent.

According to FWC documents, the state agency wants hunters to harvest 240 to 280 bears statewide in this year's first hunt. That would include 40 bears from the eastern Panhandle, 40 from North Florida, 40 bears from Central Florida and 80 to 120 bears from South Florida.

Those harvest goals could be adjusted in subsequent years, based on how the population is doing.

In 2002, biologists estimated Florida's black bear population at 3,000 bears and are in the process of updating that estimate. The bear was removed from the state threatened list in 2012, when FWC's current bear management plan was approved.

But bear attacks and collisions with cars in Central Florida have made headlines in recent years. FWC fielded more than 4,000 bear-related calls in 2010. And those calls have increased more than 400 percent in the past decade.

The issue has pitted hunters against animal rights advocates.

"We are concerned that these are populations that are sources for the continued recovery of the Florida black bear population," said Laurie Ann McDonald, Florida program director for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife.

"Twenty percent of a population is not a small amount," McDonald told commissioners. "What this is related to is not biological carrying capacity, it's social carrying capacity."

Florida listed the black bear as "threatened" in 1974, with populations estimated between 300 to 500 bears. So state wildlife officials closed bear hunting in all but three counties until 1994, when bear hunting season was closed statewide. With protection and improved habitats, bear populations began to rebound and bears bounced back.

"I think our approach has been very, very conservative," Commissioner Charles Roberts said. "This is a big step for the commission and I think it's very, very important that we're all on board."

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @JWayEnviro

To report a sick or injured bear or other animal:

During business hours call 352-732-1225. After business hours, call FWC's Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)

Learn about black bears: http://myfwc.com/bear

Florida proposed to allow bear hunting in a dozen state Central Florida wildlife management areas:

1. Bayard Wildlife Management Area

2. Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area

3. Rock Springs Run Wildlife Management Area

4. Ocala Wildlife Management Area

5. Raiford Wildlife Management Area

6. Seminole Forest Wildlife Management Area

7. Marshall Swamp Wildlife Management Area

8. Etoniah Creek Wildlife Management Area

9. Jumper Creek Wildlife Management Area

10. Tiger Bay Wildlife Management Area

11. Lake Monroe Wildlife Management Area

12. Belmore Wildlife Management Area

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission