HAVANA, Fla. — It’s official: Florida will see its first bear hunt in a decade this December, assuming the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s decision holds up in court.
The issue of bear hunting has been hotly debated since the last hunt in 2015, where more than 300 bears were killed in just two days.
But there was no disagreement among FWC commissioners, who unanimously voted Wednesday to authorize bear hunting.
Nearly 200 tags will be made available through a lottery system during the first bear hunting season later this year.
Roughly 200 people showed up to speak for or against the hunt ahead of the vote.
FWC commissioners and hunt supporters argued with an estimated 4,000 bears statewide, the population has grown to a point where it can sustain a hunt.
“I want the public to know that this is not like a run-and-gun. You know, we make decisions based on science,” said FWC Commission Chair Rodney Barreto.
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But hunt opponents argued the population is still small compared to historical numbers.
They also argued the hunting methods set to be allowed, like hunting at feed stations, bow hunting and the use of dogs, are cruel and inhumane.
“This isn’t wildlife management. This isn’t even a hunt. This is an organized killing spree for the bloodthirsty and a cash grab,” said one speaker identified as Alexandria.
Bear advocacy groups are hoping there’s still a chance to stop the hunt before it’s too late.
Katrina Shadix with Bear Warriors United said a lawsuit is already drafted and ready to be filed by the end of the day.
The suit alleges FWC failed to follow proper procedures as it moved the hunt forward.
“They know they’re making a mistake and we’re hoping that our lawsuit is going to rectify the huge mistake that they made today when they voted to go forward with state-sanctioned animal cruelty trophy killing,” said Shadix.
As it stands now, this year’s bear season will run through December.
Next year, bear hunting will be allowed on private lands and the following year, hunting with dogs will also be permitted.
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