By: Edan Schultz

June 22, 2015

TALLAHASSEE -- Animal rights groups aren't giving up their fight to stop bear hunting in Florida. They called on the governor to take action again Monday. Meanwhile, the director of the Fish and Wildlife Commission tried to clarify the reason for the proposed hunt, admitting the agency and its commissioners may have sent mixed messages.

At the state capitol Monday afternoon, leaders with The Humane Society delivered to the governor's office a box of 90,000 online petition signatures.

"We want him to know that across the world, people want this hunt stopped," said Laura Bevan with the Humane Society, "We would like him to intervene."

FWC commissioners, appointed by the governor, are set to approve a bear hunt Wednesday during the commission's meeting in Sarasota. It would allow up to 320 bears to be harvested across four regions, including a large section of the panhandle.

The harvest totals were raised recently, after preliminary results from a new survey showed bear population has doubled in northeast Florida, around the Osceola National Forest, and populations are up nearly 30% in central Florida, around the Ocala National Forest. The last survey, in 2002, estimated 3,000 bears statewide.

Opponents worry about the numbers.

"We do not believe that to have bears in the future of Florida that every year we can eliminate 20 percent of the population," said Bevan. "That's what they want to do, eliminate 20% of the population every year of a population that's barely recovered. And we say, not recovered enough."

Animal rights groups point out, the Florida black bear was just removed from the threatened species list three years ago.

But FWC Executive Director Nick Wiley says even back in 2002, the last survey showed a large enough population to support a hunt and remove the bear from the threatened list. He says the agency could have pushed for those actions sooner, but took the time to develop a bear management plan and take a careful, deliberative approach.

"It's really interesting that somebody would almost use that against us now, 'Oh they were threatened in 2012.' They were on the list in 2012. They could have been taken off the list 10 years earlier," Wiley said.

He says the Florida black bear has rebounded strongly since it was placed on the threatened list and hunting was banned more than 20 years ago.

"We feel like we're taking a very careful thoughtful scientific approach, very conservative. We care about bears. We want to see bears thrive in Florida," Wiley said.

Opponents also say there's no evidence the hunt will reduce human bear conflict as some commissioners have suggested.

For instance, after April's commission meeting, chair Richard Corbett said repeatedly the group had to do something in response to an increase of bear attacks and 'conflict bears' coming into contact with people.

"Most people that are commenting don't understand enough about the wild. These bears are dangerous. Do you want blood on your hands? We don't," said Corbett.

Wiley clarified Monday.

"I'm proud that our agency has the ability to have staff, commissioners, and everybody express their own views and opinions about it," said Wiley, "but to suggest that we're proposing these hunts just to deal with conflict bears is not the case."

He says the main reason for the hunt is population management.

"Some people do feel more strongly that bear hunting will help with the conflicts. We're not sure. The science, there's a question in that regard," Wiley said.

Beyond hunting, as part of its comprehensive bear management plan, the FWC does want to broaden use of bear resistant trash cans, toughen penalties for feeding, and have more aggressive removal of conflict bears.

"We have expanded our staffing and funding over the last several years. We are out and about in the communities targeting problem bears when we get complaints and calls. We are trapping," said Wiley.

"Dealing with garbage is the number one most important issue we need to address. And we need everybody's help in that regard, from the neighborhoods to the waste management companies everybody needs to help us on that," said the director.

But opponents suggest those conflict calls, which can lead to bears being caught and euthanized, are already putting pressure on the population, along with hundreds of deaths from car collisions each year.

"We disagree with that premise that the bears are ready to be hunted," said Bevan.

Governor Scott has said he trusts the Fish and Wildlife Commission to make the right decision on bear hunting.

The proposed bear hunt would run from October 24-30, and end early if harvest limits are met.

It would allow harvest of up to 40 bears in the East Panhandle, 100 each in the North and Central Florida regions, and 80 in the South region.

The harvest would limited to bears greater than 100 pounds where no cubs are present.

It would also be limited to one bear per permit holder, per season.

Permits would cost $100 for Florida residents, $300 for out-of-state residents.

