News Features

Are Any Bears Actually Being Harvested?

“Surely, somebody’s killed one.”
   David Williamson of Astor’s Wida Outdoors is among the expansive group of Florida outdoorsmen this week who are wondering aloud about the status of the state bear hunt, though no information appears to be forthcoming.
   The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently overseeing the first harvest of Florida black bears in a decade, but the public is being given few details on the plan to allow up to 172 bears taken through December 28.
   Through Tuesday, December 16, the FWC had not released data on this year’s hunt, including how many deer had been harvested, and from which of the legal hunting areas defined as part of the harvest.
   Additionally, area hunting enthusiasts and professional guides in the past week have universally reported that they haven’t heard of a single bear being harvested.
   “I’ve not heard a thing,” said Williamson, who as part of his profession regularly tracks hunting and fishing data.
   Even social media sites known to cover hunting have been quiet when it comes to having reports from any hunters having harvested a bear.
   Williamson says the fact that the hunt has been controversial with some members of the public and conservation organizations could be leading to those harvesting a bear declining to share that information publicly.
   Without a formal comment from the FWC, however, the public is left to wonder if any bears are actually being harvested, or did tags go to individuals who had no plans to hunt bears but rather applied to keep a tag away from someone who would? Or, have efforts by some organizations to pay tag holders big money, up to $2,000 in some cases, to not use their tags having an impact?
   Over 100,000 individuals reportedly applied for the limited tags that would allow for participation in the harvest, the first in the state since 2015, when just over 300 bears were harvested in just over a weekend and the season was closed early. That year, over 3,700 tags were issued for that season.
   The FWC has estimated that around 4,000 bears currently reside in Florida.