TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Florida called off its first statewide bear hunt in more than two decades after 295 black bears were killed in two days -- 25 bears short of the imposed limit.
The hunt, set up by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, had a statewide limit of 320 bear kills before the hunt began Saturday.
"When we started this, we started with harvest objectives that were very conservative and very mindful of that we are doing this for the first time in 21 years," Nick Wiley, executive director of the FWC, told the Sun Sentinel. "There are uncertainties, but we put really good buffers in place to deal with those uncertainties and we're still very confident that we're within those sustainable limits."
There are an estimated more than 3,000 black bears in Florida, but a population survey has not been completed in more than a decade -- leading to speculation about the accuracy of estimates.
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There were 112 bears killed in Florida's eastern panhandle, 139 killed in central Florida, 23 killed in north Florida and 21 killed in south Florida.
FWC sold 3,778 bear killing permits for the bear hunt and earned nearly $380,000, which it plans to use to "help fund abatement of human/bear conflicts through comprehensive waste management efforts in Florida."
"The hunt is just one component of FWC's overall bear management strategy, and FWC will continue to invest staff time and resources toward outreach and education, waste management and removing bears that pose a threat to human safety," FWC said in a statement.
At least two hunters were cited for killing underweight bears, including a 42 pound cub in the eastern panhandle. Any bear weighing less than 100 pounds are presumed to be cubs.
Opponents of bear hunts say hunting the bears is unnecessary and wrong, and that better maintenance and awareness of the animals could prevent potential conflicts with humans.
"This hunt is completely unnecessary and it's not supported by science or by public sentiment," Kate MacFall, Florida state director for The Humane Society, said in a press release prior to the hunt. "Research overwhelmingly shows that hunting bears in the woods doesn't reduce problems with bears in neighborhoods. The state would be better off helping citizens manage trash and outdoor food sources."
