Florida’s Bears Are No Longer Endangered, and Now 320 of Them Could Be Killed in a Week [View all]

[Omaha Steve]

Hunters are using a spate of animal attacks in the state to push for a hunting season to 'manage the population.'



Black Bear. (Photo: Mark Conlin)


http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/12/florida-back-hunting-black-bears

OCT 12, 2015 Taylor Hill is an associate editor at TakePart covering environment and wildlife.

For the first time in more than 20 years, Florida is allowing its once-endangered black bears to be hunted for one week starting Oct. 24.

As many as 320 bears could be killed over the course of the hunt, a number conservation groups such as Speak Up Wekiva calls arbitrary, because the state does not have current population estimates for the bears. And more than 320 bears could die, thanks to a loophole in the guidelines that doesn’t limit how many animals can be killed during the first two days of the hunt.

A Tallahassee judge allowed the hunt in an Oct. 8 ruling that denied Speak Up Wekiva’s request to postpone it on the grounds that state wildlife officials won’t be able to stop hunters from continuing to kill bears even after the quota is met.

RELATED: Florida Drivers' Need for Speed Is Wiping Out the Critically Endangered Panther

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has sold more than 2,000 bear-hunting permits since they went on sale in August.

FULL story at link.