Take Action – Florida sportsmen and women can make your voice heard while counter the anti-hunting rhetoric. To participate in the last webinar, being held on Thursday, June 2 by signing up here.
Last year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved Florida’s first bear season in decades after being dragged into a circus of events and lawsuits brought forth by animal-rights activists. The October season was short-lived, as hunters from across the state neared the 320 bear quota in just two days.
Sportsmen from the Sunshine State now face renewed opposition from anti-hunters as the prospect of a 2016 season unfolds. Kate MacFall, Florida State Director for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), has already voiced her organization’s opposition to a second bear hunting season.
“The animal-rights movement likes to perpetuate the idea of a subpopulation of black bears living in Florida, but that deception was legally and biologically disproven years ago,” said Brian Lynn, vice president of marketing and communication for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The problem is that bear populations in the state continue to expand, and as they do, the bears in turn are looking for food and safety in residential areas. A conservative, managed hunt such as happened last year is the most ethical, economical and responsible thing to do.”
Contrary to the emotional rhetoric spewed by anti-hunting activists, commission staff have been hosting a series of webinars that recap the 2015 hunt, and include information pertaining to bear population data, how people can reduce the number of human/bear conflicts and to take public input.
The commission is expected to take action on the proposed 2016 season and quotas at its meeting in June.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.