Florida Bear Hunt Approved

[OXN939]

FWC approves first black bear hunt in a decade amid fierce opposition

A lawsuit filed by Bear Warriors United could delay or derail the season, which is set to run Dec. 6-28 if the state prevails in court.

floridapolitics.com

Florida black bear rug would be pretty legit. Sounds like they're at least trying to learn some lessons from the 2015 hunt... fingers crossed this one goes off without a hitch.

Good luck to anyone applying!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

That’s cool, it would be awesome to have a Florida black bear rug.

 

[lost_in_the_wma]

I can’t understand why big cypress or at least bear island in big cypress is excluded from the bear management area of south Florida, anyone catch anything about that? There’s no shortage of bears there

 

[Doc Holliday]

Im definitely gonna put in for one

 

[lost_in_the_wma]

I’ll be putting in for one but I’m not crazy about it being unlimited $5 special opportunity entries rather than a single entry

 

[FLHunter87]

Having the season in December is stupid in my opinion. 10 years ago the season lasted a whole 2 days before FWC called it and over 300 bears taken in those 2 days. I imagine it's going to be the same even in December. It should have been in September/October though. This time is only 187 tags will be available and each county will have their own specific amount. Dumbest thing in the world. This will actually not do much to the population. There's plenty of bears in Florida. FWC had to be one of the worse game and fish departments in the US along with NOAA in the South Atlantic region. All these restrictions and no common sense for many species they are controlling.

 

[go_deep]

Having the season in December is stupid in my opinion. 10 years ago the season lasted a whole 2 days before FWC called it and over 300 bears taken in those 2 days. I imagine it's going to be the same even in December. It should have been in September/October though. This time is only 187 tags will be available and each county will have their own specific amount. Dumbest thing in the world. This will actually not do much to the population. There's plenty of bears in Florida. FWC had to be one of the worse game and fish departments in the US along with NOAA in the South Atlantic region. All these restrictions and no common sense for many species they are controlling.

Would you rather they didn't have a hunt?

I get it, it's not enough, but it's a start.

 

[FLHunter87]

Would you rather they didn't have a hunt?

I get it, it's not enough, but it's a start.

I really don't care either way. It's the entire way they manage things. FL is terrible management on most of the big game animals that can be hunted here. Im in NE FL. There's a fair amount up here but in my opinion not worth chasing after, especially in December. Only times I've seen the most bear activity is August-mid October personally. $5 per application which can be as many as you want and then $100 more if drawn. I'll pass. Not even worth it with the 187 they are giving out statewide. Basically a lucky lucky lottery. Just like the stupid Red Snapper project they are doing. Plus what's it going to start? Another hunt 10 years from now and they hand out 90 permits statewide? FWC is ruining FL fishing and hunting. Is only a matter of time jobs and people's livelihood are ruined(in partner with NOAA South Atlantic Region). Along with the working class who can't even hunt or fish in the future the way things are going here. It's a joke.

 

[Loper]

I really don't care either way. It's the entire way they manage things. FL is terrible management on most of the big game animals that can be hunted here. Im in NE FL. There's a fair amount up here but in my opinion not worth chasing after, especially in December. Only times I've seen the most bear activity is August-mid October personally. $5 per application which can be as many as you want and then $100 more if drawn. I'll pass. Not even worth it with the 187 they are giving out statewide. Basically a lucky lucky lottery. Just like the stupid Red Snapper project they are doing. Plus what's it going to start? Another hunt 10 years from now and they hand out 90 permits statewide? FWC is ruining FL fishing and hunting. Is only a matter of time jobs and people's livelihood are ruined(in partner with NOAA South Atlantic Region). Along with the working class who can't even hunt or fish in the future the way things are going here. It's a joke.

I’m confused. You seem upset about the way the bear hunt was managed 10 years ago when it only lasted 2 days and over 300 bears were harvested. Now this year, they changed it so the counties have a limit and have it planned for a month of the year when you say you see fewer bears, all of which could likely make the season longer than 2 days. I’m not sure what you want?

I’m pretty sure 10 years ago, the total number of bears taken exceeded the targeted amount because people killed them much faster than anticipated, which is why the hunted ended in only two days. It seems that FWC changed things this time around to prevent that same thing from happening .

Perhaps, with the changes they are making, it won’t be just a “once a decade” hunt where a large number of bears are harvested, but rather a more frequently occurring hunt with fewer bears harvested. .

 

[Poser]

Do the bears in Florida tend to be fairly visible? If the total population is ~4,000, but 300 were killed in 2 days, that seems to be a proportionally high success rate. I'd expect the bears to be in dense vegetation areas and extremely difficult to hunt.

 

[Loper]

Generally speaking, the bears are in dense vegetation.

However, with the ever increasing population of people and residential/commercial developments in the state, they lose their natural habitat and can be in more open areas and more visible.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Do the bears in Florida tend to be fairly visible? If the total population is ~4,000, but 300 were killed in 2 days, that seems to be a proportionally high success rate. I'd expect the bears to be in dense vegetation areas and extremely difficult to hunt.

Not visible. Would lead one to believe there are a lot more bears than they thought….

 

[Nine Banger]

Is it an activity where dogs are the way or is there a chance for stand hunters or any spot and stalk opportunities maybe in the prairie or big burned pine tracks?

 

[FLHunter87]

I’m confused. You seem upset about the way the bear hunt was managed 10 years ago when it only lasted 2 days and over 300 bears were harvested. Now this year, they changed it so the counties have a limit and have it planned for a month of the year when you say you see fewer bears, all of which could likely make the season longer than 2 days. I’m not sure what you want?

I’m pretty sure 10 years ago, the total number of bears taken exceeded the targeted amount because people killed them much faster than anticipated, which is why the hunted ended in only two days. It seems that FWC changed things this time around to prevent that same thing from happening .

Perhaps, with the changes they are making, it won’t be just a “once a decade” hunt where a large number of bears are harvested, but rather a more frequently occurring hunt with fewer bears harvested. .

That's my point. There's way more bears than they think. There is no data to back up there "scientific" estimates. Its just going to be the same thing with less tags. Except now it's in December which may help the bears since there activity level will be lowered(at least in my opinion/experience. Again, I could care less about the black bear hunt, my overall point is FWC is a terrible management for wildlife. Black bears in gerenal are not big here.

 

[FLHunter87]

Is it an activity where dogs are the way or is there a chance for stand hunters or any spot and stalk opportunities maybe in the prairie or big burned pine tracks?

No dogs or baiting will be allowed to my knowledge. Bears are generally in the thick thick stuff. Where and how they get in and out is a mystery to me.

 

[ScottP76]

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.

 

[FLHunter87]

I

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.

Must have missed the baiting part then. That's really interesting. Makes sense though. Last time a lot of 60-70lb bears were harvested lol and of course thats what the peta bear lovers showed non stop. Still doesn't lean me to putting in for one with odds so low. Good luck to you. I can wait my 2 years for Canada Bear hunt.