Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat and an environmental scientist, is calling on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to vote down a proposal to open a 23-day bear hunt period in four regions across the state.
Announced in May, the proposal would allow hunting in a region of Southwest Florida, East-Central Florida south of Jacksonville and in the Gainesville area, a north region west of Jacksonville, and the eastern Panhandle west of Big Bend.
The vote is expected this week.
In a letter to FWC Commissioners, Cross took particular issue with the proposal’s inclusion of three hunting methods she described as “wildlife cruelty”: hounding, baiting and archery.
Hounding involves the use of hunting dogs that chase prey, often until they are exhausted or cornered. Critics oppose it because it can inflict extreme stress on the animal being hunted.
As the name suggests, baiting is done by placing types of feed to attract animals being hunted. Opponents say it is a risk to the environment by increasing concentrations of animals, raising the risk of spreading diseases and disrupting wildlife behavior, among other concerns.
Archery, meanwhile, is criticized as a cruel hunting method because of its risk of prolonged suffering by the hunted animal.
Cross further pointed to the last FWC-authorized bear hunt 10 years ago.
“The last bear hunt, held in October of 2015, continues to be a black stain on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Scheduled to last a week, the 2015 hunt ended in only two days, as hunters nearly exceeded the quota and killed 36 lactating females, which undoubtedly resulted in the death of motherless cubs,” she wrote.
“Floridians are still outraged at the mismanagement and unneeded killing of one of Florida’s most iconic and beloved native mammals.”
The 2015 hunt resulted in 295 bears being taken out of the 320 that had been authorized. The total number of bears taken during the hunt was later revised upward to 304, including 38 lactating mother bears. Of the bears hunted that year, 60% were females.
FWC says the hunt is needed to manage a growing black bear population that has rebounded over the years. The agency estimates there are more than 4,000 black bears in Florida today.
“While we have enough suitable bear habitat to support our current bear population levels, if the four largest subpopulations continue to grow at current rates, we will not have enough habitat at some point in the future,” FWC wrote in an FAQ section along with its proposal.
Another section explains why some residents near bear habitats sometimes see bears in their neighborhoods, writing that despite access to habitat, “bears will take advantage of easily accessible foods that can be found in neighborhoods like unsecured garbage, pet food and bird seed.”
Cross took issue with the implication that a bear hunt is needed to avoid bear/human interactions.
“The majority of the negative interactions between the Florida black bear and humans are due to habitat encroachment and failure of humans to properly contain garbage and waste,” she wrote. She added that the Commission should instead “redirect its attention to supporting programs to reduce attractants to bears rather than green-light a trophy hunt.”
“Hundreds of millions of dollars have been dedicated to conserving and restoring habitat for native Florida wildlife, including the Florida black bear. Floridians value our native wildlife, and have spoken out loudly against this wildly unpopular hunt,” Cross continued.
“I urge you to uphold the integrity of this organization’s vision of a ‘Florida where fish and wildlife are abundant and thriving in healthy and connected natural landscapes’ and in a manner that honors the public trust by voting ‘No’ against this trophy hunt.
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