Florida black bears were once forced to the brink of extinction due to over-hunting and habitat loss. These typically shy forest dwellers have only recently started to rebound, thanks in part to a 1994 statewide ban on bear hunting.
Unfortunately, recent incidents involving human-bear conflicts, including cases of humans illegally feeding bears, have led some lawmakers to renew calls to reopen a bear trophy hunt in Florida. This ineffective solution would allow hunters to target bears deep in the woods far from human neighborhoods, who are not bothering anyone. Instead, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should focus its attention on educating the public on how to avoid conflicts with bears through everyday actions, such as
using bear-proof trash cans.
TAKE ACTION
Please take a moment to send a message below to Gov. Scott and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and ask that they keep Florida black bears protected from trophy hunting. here
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