The Florida Fish and Game Commission will meet in Tallahassee April 14-16. Among the items on the agenda for action on April 15 is a proposal to establish a hunting season for black bears, starting in the fall of 2015.
In response to growing concerns about a rising number of black bear attacks in the state in recent years, the commission instructed its staff to bring forth a proposal that would establish hunting as a management tool for controlling the population. The resulting proposal, which will be presented to the commission on April 15, would establish a seven-day hunting season with harvest objectives established based on regional bear management units. The first season would occur October 24-30. The commission would not restrict the number of permits sold, but would instead utilize a quota system and each bear management unit’s season would be subject to strict harvest objectives.
If the vote is favorable during the April meeting, the commission is expected to bring the proposal up for final approval at its June meeting.
Take Action: All Florida sportsmen should submit comments to the commission and/or attend the upcoming meeting and support the adoption of this proposal. Hunting is a proven and highly effective management tool for controlling wildlife populations and reducing human conflicts.
Comments can be submitted electronically to the Commission by following this link: http://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-staff/senior-staff/contact-commissioners/
For sportsmen interested in attending the hearing, below are the details:
April, 2015 Commission Meeting
Dates: April 14-16, 2015
**Black Bear Hunting Proposal Scheduled for April 15**
Time: 1:30 p.m. on the first day and 8:30 am on each day after
Location: Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center, FAMU, 1800 Wahnish Way, Tallahassee, FL 32307
About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation: The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) is a 501(c)3 organization and protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. USSAF 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 USSAF: Online, Facebook and Twitter.