FLORIDA (WALA) – Florida’s 23-day black bear hunt concluded with 52 bears killed, according to official numbers released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The total represents a fraction of the 172 permits issued through a lottery system, with many permits going unused due to opposition efforts.
Bear Warriors United, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting bears, offered hunters $2,000 before the hunt to turn in their tags and spare bears’ lives. The group’s founder, Katrina Shadix, led the effort.
“Over 37 reached out and were interested in taking the money. Tens of thousands of dollars was paid out,” Shadix said.
Bear advocates stepped in after the FWC approved hunt rules in August, buying up dozens of tags when permits went on sale. Shadix said she did not send the buyout offer to the 43 bear advocates who purchased tags specifically to save bears.
“We were definitely excited that we could save these extra bear lives,” Shadix said. “Even bear hunters are willing to take a few bucks not to kill a bear.”
The latest hunt saw significantly fewer bears killed compared to a decade ago. In 2015, over 300 bears were killed in a span of two days.
“In 2015 it was an absolute slaughter fest,” Shadix said.
The FWC reported only one hunter received a warning for a minor violation during the recent hunt, with no citations issued. This compares to 20 warnings and six citations in 2015.
Shadix credited the FWC’s lottery system for limiting the number of bears killed.
Bear Warriors United plans to continue fighting the hunts through legal action.
“We want to honor those 52 bears that were slain so me and my legal team and our members are working harder than ever to win this lawsuit against the FWC so that this never happens again,” Shadix said.
The FWC said a full report with analysis of data collected during the hunt will be released in the coming months. Florida wildlife officials warn residents that conflict prevention and bear management practices still need to continue.
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