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Posted on 10/28/2025 5:25:19 AM PDT by marktwain
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must be Trumps fault...
There is a widely circulated estimate there were 11,000 black bears in Florida before the arrival of Europeans.
In 2014-15 there were over 4,000 black bears in Florida. The extrapolation of bear population growth put the estimate for 2026-27 at 11,000.
We are supposed to get a measurement published (for 2025) in 2026.
Humans increase the poductive capacity of the land (mostly).
The market for bear rugs just went up.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Hunting for profit
I live in western Pennsylvania, on a farm, near lots of state forest lands. Fifty years ago, I saw a bear when out for a drive in the fall in a remote area. I was SHOCKED! Called the state game department and they told me there were no bears in this area and laughed, said it must have been a large dog. Now, there are bears crossing my property daily. They show up on the game cams all the time. I’ve personally been within twenty feet of numerous bears on my own property. Last year I was driving down a farm road and thought I saw a cow where there were not supposed to be any, so I drove over there and it turned out to be a large male black bear I’d say weighed well over 300 lbs. I drove slowly up to him, and honked the horn, to scare him off, and he casually walked back to my car door and stood up on his hind legs, his chest was above the level of my car roof—and I could have reached out and touched him. About then I realized that it was probably not a good idea to have the window down, since his claws were about five inches long. That bear was NOT the slightest bit afraid of me, though I was trying to chase him off. I decided right then and there to never go riding my horse without a gun. I’ve seen bears cross my pastures whilst my horses were grazing there, the bear just skirted the horses, and the horses raised their heads and watched but didn’t seem particularly alarmed. I used to have a German shepherd and a blue heeler who kept an eye out for interlopers, but they are now gone. I see bear scat under my apple trees in the fall, and my gold fish pond gets raided by something big enough to tear apart the skimmer and waterfall. It’s getting to the point I don’t go out in the yard at night, since I now live alone and am near eighty.
It’s getting to the point I don’t go out in the yard at night, since I now live alone and am near eighty.
Agreed. We have similar problems with mountain lions in socal.
Expand the length of bear hunting season. Bounties should be paid in areas with severe bear infestation. That won’t work in liberal states like Oregon or Vermont but it will work elsewhere.
Always my first questuin tooĺ😎
Expand the length of bear hunting season. Bounties should be paid in areas with severe bear infestation. That won’t work in liberal states like Oregon or Vermont but it will work elsewhere.
Hunting bears to regulate their population has worked well, where it us used.
We have neighbors that do heavy duty deer feeding in spite of objections from other neighbors. The deer are like locusts through the yards. This last spring we had well over 30 deer, maybe even 40, camped in the neighborhood. Probably less than a dozen now. The neighbors haven’t been feeding the deer, they’ve been feeding a cougar.
PRICELESS!! You should remind them of their philanthropy!
Lots of newcomers to my area remind me that our little black bears are not a threat, (and we don’t have brownies, or grizzlies, or polar bears-——— when black bears kill more people every year than brownies and grizzlies and polar bears-—) I used to buy into that $hit that bears are more afraid of me than I am of them-— I’m 78 yr old, female and weigh 113lbs-— and I’ve already ascertained that the local boar is not the least bit afraid of me.
Bears smell the barbecue restaurants in Gatlinburg. Apparently there was one seen in Knoxville recently.
Friends of mine in Sanford send me the occasional picture or video of bears, sometimes with cubs, strolling casually through their subdivision.
It is now legal in Florida to shoot a black bear under specific circumstances, contrary to the previous rule. Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 87, known as the “Self Defense Act,” into law in June 2024, which allows residents to use lethal force against a bear if they reasonably believe it poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to themselves, others, or their pets, or if there is substantial damage to a dwelling.
This law, which took effect on July 1, 2024, permits the killing of bears without a permit, provided the shooter reports the incident to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) within 24 hours and does not possess, sell, or dispose of the bear or its parts.
The law applies to any bear on private property that the individual believes is an imminent threat, including bears crossing property lines.
The FWC previously prohibited killing bears without a permit, except in cases where human life was at risk, but the new law codifies this right and aims to address concerns about increasing bear encounters.
Critics argue the law is redundant since Florida is a “Stand Your Ground” state, and lethal force was already legally permissible in self-defense, but supporters maintain it clarifies the law and addresses confusion.
The law has raised concerns about potential misuse, the risk of wounded bears attacking, and the possibility of human injury from stray bullets.
Ear tags, two tags, the bear dies on the third encounter.
Who’s doing the tagging?
I’ve had pair of those signs when I first moved to my Central Florida county.
This year, one sign was moved closer to my house!
==8-O
The wildlife guys who get the call on moving nuisance bears. If you report, they show and depending on the circumstance move or kill the bear.
When I started hunting bears in the early 70’s one could sell a bear hide for decent money.
The last bear I shot a couple weeks ago and the ones before that. The hides were just thrown away.
The market is gutted with hides the cost of processing them is very hide.
Fur is not in demand.
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