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Florida has launched its first state-sanctioned black bear hunt since 2015
State wildlife officials claim that the hunt will help control future overpopulation of the species
Local conservation groups are attempting to limit the number of bears killed during the season
Florida has launched its first black bear hunting season in a decade, despite pushback from several local organizations.
Open season will run from Saturday, Dec. 6, through Friday, Dec. 26, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
“Regulated bear hunting … helps manage the population,” the FWC stated in a Guide to Bear Hunting in Florida featured on their website.
The FWC noted that while there is “enough suitable bear habitat to support our current bear population levels,” a scarcity will eventually develop should “the four largest subpopulations continue to grow at current rates.”
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A black bear in Florida
“Early action would allow the agency to monitor conditions and adaptively manage the population so it never reaches that risk level,” the FWC added in the guide.
The FWC awarded 172 bear hunting permits — after receiving over 160,000 applications, per the Associated Press (AP). Hunters are permitted to kill one bear per permit, according to the outlet.
PEOPLE reached out to the FWC for comment on Dec. 6, but did not receive an immediate response.
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Local conservation groups are opposed to the hunt, arguing that it is unnecessary at this time. Some have even proposed unconventional solutions in an attempt to limit the number of bears killed.
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A black bear and a cub in Florida
In a November Facebook post, the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club suggested that anyone opposed to the hunt should apply for a hunting permit so as to reduce the odds of actual hunters winning them.
Katrina Shadix, executive director of the bear conservation group Bear Warriors United, said that her organization is offering anyone with a bear hunting permit $2,000 to not participate in the hunt, per local news outlet WKMG.
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“We just had our first successful interaction with a hunter,” she told the outlet, adding, “We met him at the post office. He cut up his bear tag in front of us.”
She said she believes about “36 hunters” have called her organization to express interest in the offer.
Florida’s last state-sanctioned bear hunting season took place in 2015, although was widely considered a failure, per the AP.
At the time, permits were given to anyone who could pay for one, which resulted in more than 3,700 permits issued. More than 300 bears were killed, and at least 38 of those bears were females with cubs, which meant the orphaned cubs may have also died as a result of losing their mothers, per the AP.
The hunt was called off after only two days due to concerns from wildlife officials, per the outlet.
In the 1970s, the Florida black bear population dipped below 500, sparking a dedicated state-wide conservation effort, per National Geographic. The population rebounded over the ensuing decades, and experts estimate that there are currently about 4,000 Florida black bears in the wild, according to the outlet.
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