Florida FWC Considers New Black Bear Looking Season

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee (FWC) is holding three digital public conferences to assemble suggestions on proposed rules for a possible black bear hunt in Florida, which might be the primary since 2015.

This consideration follows the FWC’s December 2024 five-year replace on the Florida Black Bear Administration Plan, the place the fee reported that bear populations have grown to roughly 5 instances above minimal inhabitants goals. Florida’s black bear inhabitants is estimated at over 4,000 animals, rebounding from simply a number of hundred within the Nineteen Seventies which is taken into account a conservation success story for the state.

“Florida’s bear inhabitants is flourishing, and it might simply assist a restricted and extremely regulated bear hunt,” mentioned Mark Barton with Again Nation Hunters and Anglers throughout a December listening to. The FWC contends that one other hunt would supply leisure and financial advantages for hunters whereas serving to to take care of balanced populations in high-density areas.

Regardless of Florida having greater than 17,000 sq. miles of appropriate bear habitat (46% protected), statewide bear-related calls have reached an all-time excessive—up 42% since 2016, with greater than 7,000 calls reported in 2023. About 60% of those calls are bear sightings, whereas 40% are complaints.

Tips on how to Take part

The conferences will focus on proposals based mostly on suggestions from each stakeholders and the general public following the March 13 session. All three classes will cowl similar materials:

• April 2 from 12-3 p.m. EDT: Digital assembly through Zoom
• April 3 from 5-8 p.m. EDT: Digital assembly through Zoom
• April 5 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. EDT: Digital assembly through Zoom

The proposals for “extremely regulated black bear looking” will likely be introduced to FWC commissioners throughout their Could assembly.

These involved in attending the conferences can be a part of by going to myfwc.com/looking/bear/ and clicking on the hyperlinks. Contributors will need to have the Zoom app put in.

Feedback can be submitted through e-mail to BearComments@MyFWC.com.

The suggestions gathered throughout these digital conferences will likely be integrated into the ultimate proposals introduced to Commissioners at their Could assembly, the place a choice on the potential bear hunt will likely be thought-about.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning outside journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e-mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com