Is killing Florida a good way to control them?

Following Florida’s first deadly bear attack this spring, there is little argument that the state’s largest land mammals could be dangerous. However, a fierce debate continues as to whether a good way to control bears is to kill them.

After a decade of hibernation, the state’s plans to resume bear hunting have deepened discrepancies before a seven-person committee appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of a pivotal meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee. Advocates suggest that thinning the bear population is a “science-based” approach to wildlife management, but the enemy pointed out that the last hunt in 2015 was a bit lacking in management disasters.

The board will be held at the University of Central Florida in Ocala on Wednesday and will have the annual bear “harvest” option.

The FWC recorded over 13,000 public comments about the hunt. Orlando Sentinel reviewed hundreds of email comments and interviewed several of the authors to measure disagreement.

“We have a lot of bears, and they definitely feel like they’re overcrowded in our area,” said Windy Johnson, a school teacher and hunting advocate who lives on 100 acres in Wakula County, south of Tallahassee. “At certain times they’re so bad that you can drive down the road anytime and see them. People can’t protect them from the trash.”

Hunt supporters suggest that a limited bear season will block the run between animals and people.

However, bear advocates argue that people have invaded the bear’s habitat.

Orlando resident Karen Murray, who described herself as a hiker and wildlife enthusiast in an anti-hunting email, said that bear-bearable garbage containers have been proven effective at blocking bear intrusions into the neighborhood. Adopting that strategy, Seminole County has significantly reduced the encounters of state-leading bear humans in recent years, despite the conflict rising elsewhere in the state as bears expanded its scope.

Murray urged the FWC to focus on “humanitarian and non-lethal strategies.”

Many who opposed the hunt were concise.

“Let’s not kill them,” wrote Richard Baker, who serves as a chair for the Audubon branch of Indian River County.

Read another person, “No need, unwanted, unsolved, nothing, stop considering this (hunting).”

“The final ‘highly regulated’ bear hunt led to the shooting of the Cubs, with mother Bear shooting the shot. This is an unnecessary effort to sanction more unnecessary killings. No,” wrote Carolyn Keeler of Deland.

A Prohunt email, dubbed the state’s black bear population “uncontrolled,” described it as “a far exceeding capacity,” denounced the population growth for increasing conflicts and reports of bear vehicle crashes.

These emails — many of whom use the same language — allegedly have 2,700 bears have been killed in vehicles over the past decade.

The hunter cited the horrifying death of an 89-year-old man. This month, he was killed and partially eaten by a 263-pound bear in Collier County, southwestern Florida. The FWC was called the first deadly bear attack in Florida history.

Brent Palmer, 53, who lived in 10 states while working in the US military, said he frequently crossed the paths with them while hunting bears in three states: Colorado, Montana and New York, hunting in the Florida Panhandle.

“I am 100% behind science-based hunting, fishing and trap regulations that allow for the right balance between animal populations and harvests. “I am a regulated bear hunt and I hope that FWC biologists will determine the best bear based on their habitat and other factors.”

But he also said that Florida’s final hunt was a “catastrophe” and that he understands why the public is worried now.

In 2015, 304 bears were killed just two days after the permit was distributed to those who had been paid. Amidst the chaos, the nation is terrified that it will shut down its hunt five days earlier, and that deaths will soar above the 320 harvest limit.

Based on the proposed rules, this time the permit will be issued through a random drawing.

Eligible individuals can apply an unlimited number of times, but each entry is $5.

Only one “Bear Harvest” permission is granted per person.

The permit costs $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents.

At a hearing last month, FWC staff proposed target take for bears of less than 200.

According to documents on the FWC agenda, the agency’s chief conservation officer, George Worten, will inform the board that Canadian provinces with most US and Canadian small items allow hunts.

Of the six states that do not allow bear hunting, Florida is estimated to have the most bears, with over 4,000 people.

The FWC divides the state into seven geographical bear management zones, but only four people allow hunting, as the other three bears are estimated to be under 200 bears, including fewer than 200 bears, and the other is estimated to be just 30.

The central zone, which includes Orange, Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties, has the largest estimated bear population, according to FWC estimates. A more accurate survey of bear populations in the area is expected to be conducted next year.

As in 2015, the proposed bear hunting rules prohibit the killing of cubs, defined as weight less than 100 pounds, or banning cub women. Bear supporters claim that the hunter killed a bear and bear, a nursing woman who was recognized as a cub.

The newly proposed rules do not include the FWC check-in stations needed for hunters to bring about murder in 2015. These stations confirmed that bears were legally harvested and independently monitored by animal welfare volunteers. It was recognized by environmental groups for helping to stop the hunt early.

Instead of a station, hunters must provide details to the state within 24 hours of harvest. The carcasses of harvested bears are subject to inspection, but the rules do not clarify how this will occur.