Important Facts You Need to Know about Black Bear Conservation in Florida

By Justin Stakes

By Nick Wiley
Certified Wildlife Biologist and Executive Director
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Fairfax, VA -(AmmoLand.com)- Numerous recent articles and editorials have addressed the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) bear management program.

Much of the writing has focused on the proposal to reinstate limited bear hunting in Florida. FWC staff and Commissioners welcome and respect the diversity of opinions, questions and input regarding this proposal, but some of the writing has including false or misleading information. I offer this document to provide a factual perspective on FWC’s comprehensive approach to bear management and the proposed bear hunting season.

Some articles have suggested there is a lack of sufficient scientific information to support a limited bear hunt or that the hunt would be too soon after removing black bears from the state threatened species list. FWC biologists have been researching and monitoring Florida black bears for decades. Bear populations declined to low levels through the 1970s and early ’80s but then began a strong recovery. In 2002, FWC conducted a scientific population survey estimating the …read more

Source:: AmmoLand