Florida Bear Hunt Approved

[RADunfee]

Baiting will be allowed starting this year and Dog hunting will be allowed during the 2027 season. FWC is still completing the Bear Population study 4000 bears is the previous population numbers and numbers will most likely be a lot higher. Is a 187 bears a huge number no, but it's a start. This was brought up again in 2019 and it's taken a long time to get here against a huge opposition from anti hunters. So bad mouthing this hunt doesn't help and it severely undermines the amount of volunteer work that other FL hunters have done to get here. The biggest difference between this hunt and 2015 is there will be only 187 tags issued unlike 2015 where anybody who applied got a tag that's why the season ended in 2 days going over the limit. FWC hope is with baiting being allowed hunters will do a better job of harvesting bigger bears and not killing sows with cubs or the first bear that walks out.
Hopefully in future years permit numbers will be higher, currently there is a lawsuit against FWC in an attempt to stop this hunt. FWC Commissioners and staff did a good job approving this hunt, lots of public opinion and emotions were against this and FWC didn't kneel to it and followed the science.
My deer lease is in one of the bear hunting areas and hoping I am one of the lucky 187 and with baiting allowed it wouldn't take long to get the big bears back as currently we can't even use corn on our lease because the bears push the deer off. I just wish they would have capped the number of $5 entries to per person and no offense the first season not have allowed nonresidents.

I thought baiting was only going to be allowed on private land.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I know an outfitter down around Lake Okeechobee. He mostly does duck hunts, osceola turkey, gator, and hogs, but I texted him about this the other day when the news broke, asked him if he had any spots. He has a bunch of large landowners who he leases from on the above hunts, and have bears coming to their corn feeders regularly. He said it will be $7,500 a pop!

 

[ScottP76]

I thought baiting was only going to be allowed on private land.

It is only allowed on Private. I mean I’m just a guy on a forum that’s done his best to follow along should always double check what anyone says.