A controversial Florida bear hunt has ended after a mere two days. The first legal hunt in the state since 1994 was originally slated to last seven days with restrictions on quantities and size of bears killed. Two hundred ninety-five Florida black bears were killed over the course of Saturday and Sunday — nearing the official harvest limit of 320 — when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called an end to the hunt.
The FFWCC had created zones within the state in order to limit the number of bears killed in certain areas. Hunting in the central and east Panhandle was halted on the first day when hunters reported 112 bear kills by midday. The kill limit for that region had been 40. Hunters were required to report kills within 12 hours.
The pre-approval debate of the hunt raged across both sides of the aisle, and protesters filing lawsuits in an attempt to stop the hunt were unsuccessful. Removed from the endangered species list in 2014, the Florida black bear population has grown to an estimated 3,500 and, with suburban developments encroaching further into the bear’s natural habitat, human encounters with bears are becoming more common. The FFWCC hoped to cull the bear population down to a safer number, as well as avoid the negative impacts that overpopulation can cause for the animals.
The outcry against the bear hunt is unlikely to end today. Rules of the harvest precluded killing bears less than 100 points, or if any cubs were present.One hunter was cited for killing a cub, and one other for bear baiting, a practice not permitted in Florida. Conservation groups in opposition to the hunt monitored the reporting stations where hunters had to register their kills and reported lactating female bears being killed, which were prohibited by the regulations for the hunt. Opponents also point out that some kills may go unreported, skewing the true numbers.
Funds raised from the issued permits will go towards better trash management in residential areas, a major cause in conflict between humans and bears. No word yet on whether the FFWCC will allow bear hunting to continue as an annual event.
Images via switz1873, DGriebeling
