Posted on 02/20/2024 3:56:08 AM PST by marktwain
On February 15, 2024, the Florida House passed CS/HB 87: Taking of Bears. The bill passed 88 to 29. It will now be sent to the Florida Senate. The bill has been prompted by a burgeoning black bear population in Florida, which has increased exponentially from 300 – 500 bears in 1974 to 2,650 in 2002 to an estimated 4,350 in 2016. No official population estimate has been made for eight years. The bear population increased 60% from 2002 to 2014/15. If the trend continues into 2024, the black bear population will be estimated at over 6,000. Cubs are not included in the population estimates. From a 2016 article published in the news-journalonline.com:
An estimated 4,350 adult black bears live across the state, an increase of 60 percent since the last statewide estimate in 2002, said Thomas Eason, director of habitat and species conservation for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As the bear population has expanded into areas with a higher density of people, the greatest known cause of adult bear deaths is vehicle collisions. 276 bears were killed in vehicle collisions in 2020, 289 in 2021, and 286 in 2022. The most common cause of bear cub mortality is attacks by adult male bears.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I wonder how many bears in FL come in contact with the pythons of the reptilian variety.
I suppose I wouldn’t care if the law were otherwise.
It sounds like they should legalize shooting from a vehicle, though.
?
What are you supposed to do? Sit there and ‘take it’?
Go ahead. Hit me, Mother fu****
[the greatest known cause of adult bear deaths is vehicle collisions. 276 bears were killed in vehicle collisions in 2020, 289 in 2021, and 286 in 2022]
See, now this is exactly why I’m against bears being allowed to drive. (paws for effect)
Amazing, huh? As many are killed every year by vehicles as existed in Florida just 40 years earlier.
I don’t care what the state laws say. If a bear attacks you, you have a right to self-defense.
It sounds like you are onto something.
If the state really wanted to help, they would stop issuing drivers’ licenses to bears.
Exactly!!!
Stand your ground for humans just die from bears.
Exactly. We do not know what the population is now, because no official estimate has been made for a decade.
The population has been going up by 4% a year. Using that, there should be 6,000 bears in Florida now.
I would hate to hit a bear. A deer will total your car, a bear could be much worse.
I wonder if bears are allowed to vote.
[I wonder if bears are allowed to vote.]
The DNC has been arranging ballots for them.
They’re in the trunk of an ‘73 Chevy Impala.
That is the problem - the Bears are driving without a license or insurance
Why don’t they just eliminate the right to arm bears?
I see black bears all the time April - December... Never had an issue and 99% of the time they take off when they see you. Had a few wander a little close to the front door and to save ammo I just toss a few firecrackers and they take off. Had one up on the deck which is 14’ off the ground while we were on vacation. Saw the paw prints in the pollen on the deck and the nose print on the door. Put and electric fence up around the deck railing base and nothing since plus that got rid of the raccoons.
I’ll take wildlife to humans any day.
We are up to our ears in bears!
The Florida Fish and Game tried relocating nuisance bears up to 500 miles away, but they come right back to where they were captured.
So now they euthanize them................
Like Canadien Geese, racoons and white tailed deer, the black bears have learned to adapt to co existing with humans.
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