As Florida Fish and Wildlife officials prepare to vote this week on whether to reintroduce a recreational bear hunt, opposition is surging from advocacy groups, veterinarians, and everyday Floridians.
A new ad from an animal advocacy group is drawing sharp criticism of the potential hunt, using stark imagery from the state’s last bear hunt in 2015—an event that saw hundreds of bears killed in just two days. The ad alleges the proposed methods for the upcoming hunt would be even more inhumane, including the use of bait and packs of hounds to chase the animals.
“Florida’s last bear hunt was a massacre,” the ad states, showing footage of orphaned cubs and wounded animals.
Florida’s black bear population, once nearing extinction, has rebounded in recent years. Now, the challenge lies in how best to manage that population amid rising human-bear encounters and growing suburban sprawl.
A new poll conducted by the Remington Research Group shows that 81% of Floridians oppose a recreational bear hunt. Just 16% support it, and 3% remain undecided.
Arianna Schwenck, a veterinarian from Fort Myers, is among those in strong opposition.
“I don’t like it when people hunt animals for sport,” she said. “We’re building way too many houses and kicking these animals out of their natural habitats. They’re having no choice but to come into society.”
Schwenck and others advocate for non-lethal management strategies such as enforcing trash regulations and educating the public on not feeding bears.
However, not all Floridians are against the idea of a hunt. Twelve-year-old Mason Morejon, already an avid hunter, supports regulated practices.
“There always has to be a rule set,” he said. “People won’t do things right otherwise. It has to be quick and easy and responsible.”
Others, like Orlando Marin of “Guns 4 Less” in Cape Coral, acknowledge both sides of the debate.
“If there are bears in your neighborhood and you have kids, you’re not going to want them there,” he said. “There are two sides to everything. Try to figure out the middle.”
That middle ground may be what the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aims to strike when it meets in Ocala on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials will weigh scientific data, public input, and the political pressure mounting on both sides before making a decision.
For now, advocates and opponents alike wait to see whether the bears will once again become game — or remain protected.
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