Florida Bear Hunt Ended

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bear check station Rocks Spring Run nature preserve in Sorrento is one of 33 bear check stations across the state where hunters will have to check in. 

Posted by Wayne G. Barber



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With the statewide bear harvest standing at 295 bears at the end of day 2 of Florida's bear hunt, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) closed the North and South bear management units (BMUs) to hunting Sunday, Oct. 25. East Panhandle and Central BMUs met their harvest objectives and closed to bear hunting on Oct 24. The 2015 bear hunt is officially over in all four of the state's seven BMUs that offered bear hunting.
  While hunter success was higher than expected in the East Panhandle and Central BMUs, success rates were comparable to other states with similar hunt structures and were within sustainable limits. The higher-than-expected harvest in the East Panhandle likely reflects a higher bear population in that unit. FWC expects the 2016 survey to show populations to be significantly higher than the East Panhandle's 2002 population estimate of 600 bears.
 While North and South BMUs are closed to bear hunting effective immediately, check stations within those BMUs will stay open through noon Eastern time on Oct. 26. Whether taken on private or public land, hunters must check their bear within 12 hours of recovering it at any of the established bear check stations in the North and South BMUs http://myfwc.com/hunting/by-species/bear/check-stations/
.   FWC took a conservative approach to setting harvest objectives, building in buffers so the number of bears harvested would stabilize growing populations while ensuring a continuation of healthy bear numbers. In addition, FWC had mechanisms in place for daily monitoring of the harvest and season closure, so when the harvest approached the statewide objective of 320, FWC was able to stop the hunt.
    In addition to updated population information expected in 2016 for three additional BMUs (East Panhandle, West Panhandle and South), FWC also will use information from the 2015 hunt to guide management efforts in subsequent years.
  Regulated hunting has a long, successful history of contributing to wildlife conservation in North America. Of the 41 states with resident bear populations, 33 of them conduct hunts and all have stable to increasing bear populations.
  The hunt is just one component of FWC's overall bear management strategy, and FWC will continue to invest staff time and resources toward outreach and education, waste management, and removing bears that pose a threat to human safety.
  
Bear permits were available from Aug. 3 to Oct. 23 and during that period 3,778 were sold. Bear permit sales totaled more than $376,900 and plans call for using that to help fund abatement of human/bear conflicts through comprehensive waste management efforts in Florida.
The four bear management units open to hunting reported the following combined harvest totals for Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25:

Bear Management Unit Harvest Totals
East Panhandle BMU = 112 bears - closed to further hunting
Central BMU = 139 bears - closed to further hunting
North BMU = 23 bears - closed to further hunting
South BMU = 21 bears - closed to further hunting

FWC estimates the black bear population has grown to 3,500 in the state, up from a few hundred in the 1970s. It’s the first statewide hunt in Florida in 21 years.
  Over the last few years there have been several bear attacks on residents and their pets, especially in Central Florida. However, FWC says the hunt is not in response to those attacks. The hunt is part of the bear management plan set up back in 2012.
Bear hunting is allowed in four of the Bear Management Units. FWC set the quota for the Central BMU at 100 bears. The unit includes 13 counties, including every Central Florida county by Osceola County.
  Opponents of the bear hunt, who unsuccessful tried to legally stop the bear season, say it's cruel to bears and potentially dangerous.
Volunteers with Speak Up Wekiva are monitoring the FWC check stations across the state. Some of them say they’re concerned hunters won’t follow the rules.
“I think there will be hunting in areas where they know they can get in and out, and not bring the bears here even if they have a permit because it’s probably not going to be convenient,” said Maureen Meagher, a volunteer with Speak Up Wekiva.
To manage the hunt, FWC set up 33 stations where hunters must record each kill within 12 hours. Penalties for violating bear hunting rules range from a $50 fine to $500 and 60 days in prison. Hunters cannot use dogs or bait to lure the bears, and must only kill bears that weigh more than 100 pounds and that don't have cubs present. Among the weapons allowed: shotguns, bows, pistols, revolvers and crossbows.
“It is an honor system, like in areas that are wide open like the Ocala National Forest.  But we feel this is no different than any other hunt where they’ve gone and checked in,” said Greg Workman with FWC.
FWC experts also say hunter success most likely will be low, based on experiences in the 32 other states that allow bear hunting.
  Opponents say they have 200 volunteers set up at the 33 check stations to monitor the bears that are being weighed and measured as a part of the count.