Hunting Florida Bears

[Jimmy T]

Re: limiting the number of permits, my guess would be $.

This information (if current and if I'm reading it correctly),
states that there will be no hunting allowed in Walton County:
http://myfwc.com/media/3013407/11a-rules-limited-bear-hunting.pdf

 

[Misty]

Most of this will go back in to habitat restoration and enforcement of wildlife laws.

Given the way Gov. Scott has raped restoration and environmental protection efforts, you are going to be hard pressed to convince people here that "Its a good thing".

 

[Jimmy T]

And I'm not sure I buy the euthanization v.s. hunting economics. The main difference here is that we euthanize problem bears and there is no guarantee that the bears killed by the hunt will be problem bears. In other words, despite the hunt, we will still have to manage problem bears. I think that a campaign to add some bear-proofing at restaurant dumpsters and educate folks on how to prevent attracting bears in their neighborhoods would be a great use of $.

 

[Low Brow]

There is no hunting in Walton County for bears. We are in a seperate BMU and the closest one to us is the properties east of Hwy 79 in Bay County.

Given the way Gov. Scott has raped restoration and environmental protection efforts, you are going to be hard pressed to convince people here that "Its a good thing".

It's not up to the gov, it's determined by the FWC Board.

And I'm not sure I buy the euthanization v.s. hunting economics. The main difference here is that we euthanize problem bears and there is no guarantee that the bears killed by the hunt will be problem bears. In other words, despite the hunt, we will still have to manage problem bears. I think that a campaign to add some bear-proofing at restaurant dumpsters and educate folks on how to prevent attracting bears in their neighborhoods would be a great use of $.

Hunting is a net gain by selling something, euthanization is a net loss by spending money to destroy something.
I am not saying that it will eliminate all problems but it will be a start in the right direction.

 

[Misty]

It's not up to the gov, it's determined by the FWC Board.

The FWC receives money from the State and Feds...also know as tax dollars.

 

[Bob]

the problem in Orange and seminole county is that man has encroached and built through bear habitat. folks have residential garbage containers everywhere up in the Wekiva River area/st rd. 46 which is a bear pipeline up to the Ocala National forest. Hunting down bears? I guess it depends on what you consider worthy activity.

 

[Bob]

'Black Bear Lives Matter' signs stir controversy

For more than a year, the Black Lives Matter movement has swept the nation. Thousands have spoken out, protesting the deaths of African Americans.

Controversy surrounds signs meant to protest the upcoming bear hunt, but make a pun on the movement's name.

The signs read: "Black Bear Lives Matter." It's a message Viviana Hoge proudly displays. It's a twist on "Black Lives Matter" that is meant to protest legalized bear hunting.

"I think it's uncalled for. There's no reason to kill them," Hoge said.

Hoge said the message is harmless.

"It's kind of a humorous sign against what's going on right now. It's something that people can smile at," Hoge said.

But not everyone is smiling.

Lawanna Gelzer is with the National Action Network and a Black Lives Matter activist. She said the slogan is in poor taste.

"If you're equating the lives of African Americans who are being killed by law enforcement to a bear, that is wrong, and that is not funny," Gelzer said.

The Black Lives Matter movement began after the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman and has been used to protest the deaths of young black men. WESH 2 News asked Sharon Burtner -- who helped create the signs and sells them on Facebook -- about the controversy.

"We're passionate about the bears. We don't want them killed, but in no way did we mean for it to be offensive to anybody," Burtner said.

WESH 2 News asked, why "Black Bear Lives Matter"?

"I guess to play off the Black Lives Matter movement, and we also included the word "too" because both are important," Burtner said.

Hoge offered to take the sign down.

"My intention was never to offend anybody," Hoge said.

In light of the criticism, Burtner said she is going to put an end to the signs.

 

[Teresa]

'Black Bear Lives Matter' signs stir controversy

They need a better marketing plan. Dumb.

 

[Misty]

GROUP FILES SUIT TO HALT BEAR HUNT
A Leon County circuit judge has scheduled a hearing Oct. 1 in a legal challenge to an upcoming bear-hunting season, according to an online docket.

Circuit Judge George Reynolds III set the hearing date Friday, three days after the Seminole County-based group Speak Up Wekiva requested a temporary injunction against the bear-hunting season and to speed up the review of a lawsuit seeking to block the hunt.

The season, approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is scheduled to begin Oct. 24 and last two to seven days. It is the first bear hunt in the state in more than two decades.

Florida has an estimated black bear population of 3,000. The estimated population for the Eglin area is around 80 to 100 bears. Game Wardens have set a cull limit of 320 black bears statewide for several of the state’s Bear Management Units.

The nearest approved hunting areas for our region includes Washington and Bay
counties.

 

[Low Brow]

Judge rules Florida bear hunt can go forward

Judge has ruled. Looks like we're hunting!