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Column: No more black bear hunts in Florida

 
Hunter Bryan Smith covers his 457-pound bear to prevent the meat from spoiling after state biologists took measurements and samples during Florida’s black bear hunt last October.
Hunter Bryan Smith covers his 457-pound bear to prevent the meat from spoiling after state biologists took measurements and samples during Florida’s black bear hunt last October.
Published May 30, 2016

As a native Floridian and someone who is deeply rooted in rural Hillsborough County, I have always enjoyed hunting and fishing. I have always enjoyed the tradition of hunting deer, turkey, feral hogs and small game animals in my beloved state. My dad instilled in me a value of harvesting only what will be consumed and leaving plentiful resources for future generations.

Furthermore, much of the fun in hunting comes from just being in the great outdoors. I have had many joyful experiences just observing non-game animals living out their lives in their native habitats. Because of my belief that hunting should be sustainable and that vulnerable wildlife should be conserved for future generations, I oppose the hunting of the Florida black bear.

There are about 4,500 black bears confined to fragmented ecosystems across the state. In fact, the Florida black bear was a state-listed threatened species until just three years ago.

In comparison, the state boasts a population of 700,000 white-tailed deer and 200,000 wild turkey, of both the Osceola and Eastern varieties. The deer and turkey habitats are managed and preserved to offer a plentiful resource for hunters. There are countless feral hogs in Florida, and hunting them provides a clear ecological benefit to our state since they are an invasive species.

Even the alligator, which was once on both the federal and state endangered species lists, now has a population of 1 million and provides for a sustainable resource for hunters. Add to these the numerous small game animals that provide for sustainable hunting resources in our state, and it is clear that we are blessed with a bountiful hunting environment in Florida.

For the deer and turkey populations to be as low as the black bear, 99 percent of all deer and 98 percent of all turkey in Florida would have to be eliminated. Were this to happen to the deer and turkey populations, hunters would be asking for an emergency closure of their hunting seasons and demand an immediate conservation plan.

The first black bear hunt in two decades, approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in June 2015, had its flaws. Harvest quotas were exceeded in some of the hunting zones. The number of permits issued could have led to an excessive number of bears being harvested. In fact, the hunt — which was to last as long as a week — was called off after only two days because the overall quota limit was reached.

To make matters worse, FWC approved of the hunt with the mind-set that the black bear population has grown so high that the bears had become a nuisance to humans. This is clearly a smoke screen to the facts at hand.

In reality, my analysis tells me that the hunt was about reducing the bear population because of a few select special interests that wish to further encroach on the bears' native ecosystems. Nuisance bear incidents occur in residential areas near woodlands, not in areas where hunting takes place. These nuisance bears are best dealt with through efforts other than hunting. In fact, local governments have ramped up efforts such as providing bear-proof trash cans and educating the public about the adverse consequences of feeding bears.

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Some might say this is not a Hillsborough County issue, but if conservationists are successful in connecting the fragmented ecosystems through greenways, we might one day see black bears venture into some of our preservation sites. While this is not yet the case, residents of Hillsborough County are Floridians and this is an issue of critical importance to Florida. 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.

I hope that my grandchildren will one day have the opportunity to enjoy observing these magnificent creatures in the wild. This will take a disciplined, fact-based approach to conservation efforts. Take it from this avid hunter: The Florida black bear hunt is a bad idea, and I will be bringing forward a resolution against the hunt at the Thursday Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Stacy White is a Hillsborough County commissioner.