Find papers discussed in completed episodes here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EytbWQ1NieajqUTuBUjhaEe_AOzTzaJ7?usp=sharing
Submit your public comment about the potential Florida Bear
Hunt by emailing: BEARCOMMENTS@myFWC.com
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In this episode, we dive deep into wildlife science on the
Florida Black Bear. This is a controversial and timely topic as the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has requested that a bear hunt
proposal be presented at an upcoming commission meeting. This request followed
a 5 year update on the Florida Bear Management Plan which showed increasing
population and range trends.
Following the 2015 Florida Bear hunt, anti-hunting groups
have cited the lack of sound science to get the hunt shut down until more data
is available. At the December 2024 commission meeting, both sides of the
argument were asking for the commission to make decisions based on the science,
so what does the science say?
In this episode we discuss a paper titled “Change in Black
bear Range and Distribution in Florida using Two Decadal Datasets from
2001-2020”. This paper written by lead author, Brian Scheick, the program
manager of the Florida Bear management program is a comprehensive look at all
sources of available data, including vehicle collisions, public sightings,
reports, as well as structured scientific data collection.
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