Black Bear Hunts: Hillsborough Commission Takes A Stand

TAMPA, FL — The Hillsborough County Commission has joined a growing list of opponents who would like to see the state of Florida take black bears off its hunting menu.

To that end, Hillsborough Commissioners voted 6-0 Thursday morning to oppose the state’s black bear hunt, according to several media outlets. That vote comes on the heels of two of three public webinars the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staged in May to gain resident input on its bear management activities. The final webinar is set for Thursday night (June 2).

At present, the state estimates its black bear population at 4,350. The rebound of the black bear population is one of “Florida’s conservation success stories,” FWC notes on its website.

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That success story, however, has given rise to a number of human and bear encounters, not all of them pleasant, the state contends. In hopes of culling the population, FWC announced the return of a limited permit bear hunt in 2015.

The controversial management move drew plenty of criticism from across the state. It also resulted in the deaths of more than 300 bears, according to state figures. That hunt, the first in more than two decades, ended early because its quota was nearly reached in two days instead of a week.

With less than 5,000 bears in the Florida population, not everyone thinks a hunt should return in 2016. Hillsborough Commissioners are now among them. Even Commissioner Stacy White, a hunter himself, is against a return.

“With the current population count and fragmented habitat that remains, we should be looking to preserve Florida black bears and their habitat, not hunt them,” White explained in a column published by the Tampa Bay Times.

While Hillsborough County doesn’t have a black bear population at this time, White and others hope that conservation efforts may someday change that. White envisions a future where his grandchildren might one day be able to see “these magnificent creatures in the wild,” he wrote. What’s more, if fragmented ecosystems are connected through greenways, black bears may very well take up residence in some of Hillsborough’s conservation lands, he contends.

FWC issued the following statement after Hillsborough County's vote:

There was no bear hunt held last year in Hillsborough County, and the FWC is not planning one now. The FWC is continuing to focus on receiving input from the public on how to manage Florida’s growing bear population by holding our third webinar tonight at 6 p.m.

Those interested in joining tonight’s webinar can find more information here –www.myfwc.com/bear

Whether the state will authorize another hunt this year remains to be seen. As of right now, no permit availability dates have been announced. Last year’s hunt permits cost Floridians $100 and non-residents $300.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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