Seminole County joined Volusia County on Tuesday in rejecting a second Florida bear hunt.
- Seminole votes to urge state to ban bear hunting
- Volusia passed similar resolution earlier this month
- FWC will take public comment on 2nd bear hunt starting Thursday
The commission voted Tuesday to urge the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to ban bear hunting throughout the state, or at least in the Central Bear Management Unit.
Volusia County passed its resolution calling to ban the bear hunt earlier this month.
FWC will start seeking public comment on a second bear hunt for this year starting this week. There are three webinars the public can take part in, starting at 6 p.m. Thursday. To the view the webinar, you must register ahead of time at a special FWC website.
Last October, the state opened the first bear hunt in 21 years for four Bear Management Units, including the Central BMU, which includes all of Central Florida. Some 304 bears were killed in the hunt. Of those, 143 were killed in the Central BMU, 43 more than the state had planned.
The bear population is also up, according to recent statewide surveys. The state estimates there are 4,350 Florida black bears statewide.
The three public comment webinars will take place on the following dates, starting at 6 p.m.:
- Thursday, May 26
- Tuesday, May 31
- Thursday, June 2
When you register to take part in the webinar through FWC, you will get a confirmation email and a phone number to call in and offer your opinion.
The bear hunt and bear conservation will be discussed at the next full FWC meeting in Apalachicola, June 22-23.