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FWC Debates Future of Bear Hunt

June 22nd, 2016 by flanews

Will bears be hunted again this year after a controversial 2015 bear season sparked public outcry? As Matt Galka tells us, there’s still plenty of opposition, but fish and wildlife officials are recommending another *scaled back* hunt

Hunter Bill George travelled all the way from Zephyr Hills up to Eastpoint, FL, A small panhandle town where state officials debated the future of bear hunting in Florida.

“We have very stable, large populations of bears in Florida and there’s enough bears to hunt,” he said.

George agrees with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – the state can sustain another black bear hunt. 2015’s was the first in 20 years – where 304 bears were killed in two days.

Maria Bolton-Goubert from Orlando says FWC isn’t listening to a majority of the public in opposing the hunt.

“Cubs and mothers were impacted, and to me that took away from what I thought they wanted with this hunt,” she said.

South Florida Wildlands Association Executive Director Matthew Scwartz says the black bear won’t survive hunts as long as the population keeps going up.

“This is not going to support the black bear population that we have right now, its not going to support virtually any wildlife,” he said.

But FWC officials say the bear population is healthy, and hunting can help control population and conflicts with humans.

Leah Reeder was attacked by a bear in Easpoint in 2014. she survived, and her family now supports the hunt.

Outside the meeting, FWC had other bear management tools on display, including bear proof trashcans.

FWC staff recommended a scaled back hunt for 2016 including limiting hunting permits and breaking the season up into three four day seasons.

More than 100 people signed up for public comment on the 2016 bear hunt.  FWC commissioners voted/have yet to vote on what they will do. Their other options include getting rid of the hunt, postponing it, or doing the same week long hunt as last year.

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