The Bear Facts

  By Florida Bill

                      Black bears have been living and foraging about in the state of Florida since long before the pilgrims landed.  And wildlife experts have calculated that their population statewide is now 3,000, spread out over 58,000 square miles, with higher concentrations in five areas.  In the same period, the people population has ballooned to 20 million.
                       Ursinologists, who study bears, report that the bear population was 300 in the 1970s and that this so called growth spurt over the last 45 years requires a thinning of  the state's bear population.  Fortunately, no mention has been made of thinning out the human population, which has grown exponentially in that same time period.  In the face of significant protest, a search and destroy hunt was held with 3,700 participants who purchased $100 licenses and "did some shootin."  It was recreational for the hunters, but in truth was a sad debacle ordered by wildlife experts.
                      The hunt was set to go on for seven days, much like deer season in Wisconsin, and the goal was the destruction of 320 bears.   But the horn blew at the close of the second day when the Wildlife commission reported that 298 had been downed and that "harvesting" of the animals went a whole lot faster than had been expected.
                       The state commission had voted for the bear hunt in June over heavy protest from animal protection groups and homeowners and sundry citizens who characterized the slaughter of these animals as cruel, unnecessary and inhumane.  The 48 hour hunt has been deemed by wildlife experts as a success amid predictions that another hunt will be held next year.
                       The commission has argued that the population of the Florida black bear has increased to the detriment of Floridians and a kill off  or "harvesting" was the only solution. The foraging bears had been sneaking into some residential neighborhoods in a quest for food, attracted by smells from garbage cans and carelessly discarded morsels. The commission designated some five areas in the state where the bear population was thickest and assigned a set number of carcasses to be taken from each of the areas.
                        In the planned hunt, 33 check stations were set up to record the number of carcasses.   Hunters were to kill only animals that weighed at least 100 pounds, and mother bears with cubs were to be excluded as a targets.  Also, no baiting was to be allowed.  Reportedly, there were some violations of these rules and citations were issued, and appropriate penalties will be assessed,  a spokesman said. One hunter was cited for killing a cub weighing less than 40 pounds.
                        Critics have charged that the commission had no solid information as to the population of bears in Florida.  In the south area around Hendry and Collier counties, the hunters shot 22 bears, a good deal short of that area's planned quota of 80.  In the eastern Panhandle, 112 bears were killed, almost triple the planned quota.  Who's kidding who---no one knows for sure how many and where  these black bears make their homes, said one observer.
                        Ron Bergeron, a businessman and sports enthusiast who is a member of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, voted against the hunt noting that the state had not completed bear population surveys in all areas and considered the stalk and destroy mission as premature.  The whole episode was "disappointing," he said.
                      The motivation for the hunt appears to be a knee-jerk response to  homeowners who were surprised by the appearance of a bear near their home, and there have been rare incidents in which people or small animals have been attacked and injured by bears.  But given the number of residents in the state, the incidents of unwelcome bears is minimal and the solution is not to have hunters roaming the state with their shotguns loaded, looking for a bear rug and bear chops,
                        Bears are animals who live to forage and forage to live.  But their presence is not necessarily a problem, or a threat, though the animals are not always that lovable teddy. Problems arise when bears have access to food sources such as garbage, barbecue grills, and pet seeds.  Some residents take to leaving food for feral cats, and it becomes a message to the hungry bear who has a magnificent sense of smell and can detect a tasty tidbit from a mile away.
                         Bears should be able to live and go about the business of being a bear.  Citizens can respect the animal and make use of bear-proof trash containers and avoid the careless disposal of any kind of food.  Plans for future hunts should await solid scientific study before considering another "harvesting."
                       I am guessing that the great majority of Florida residents have never seen a bear in the wild. Until that changes, let bloodthirsty Floridians limit their hunts to the pythons wiping out native species in the Everglades. Or maybe the problem is that a snake--even a really big one--just doesn't make a good rug.