‘Protesters Gather to Oppose Florida’s Proposed Bear Hunt for Trophies’

ORLANDO, Fla. – Katrina McAllister and her family traveled from Ocala to Lake Eola Park on Saturday to join others in protesting against the FWC’s proposed black bear hunt.

“The real reason they’re wanting to kill and hurt them is just for a trophy. There’s not any real proof they need to kill them,” McAllister said.

If approved, the hunt would span nearly three weeks in December and then recur annually between October and December. This would mark the first black bear hunt in a decade.

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“Back in 2015, it served as a learning experience for us; it was poorly managed, resulting in the hunting of over 300 bears, exactly their initial quota for the designated period,” Val Mobley, another protestor, told News 6.

The FWC is set to meet Wednesday and Thursday in Ocala to talk about a potential new plan for the hunt. Protesters said this plan has several issues, including no check-in stations and the use of hunting dogs.

Bryan Wilson from the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida remarked, “We do not need a bear trophy hunt here in the state of Florida. It’s strictly a blood sport for the few individuals who will get permits to kill these bears.”

However, several local hunters, like Freddie Algarin believe the hunt is necessary.

“I know a lot of bears have been going into our communities. I think it can help with the population control. The priority is doing it the right way and without doing it in a way that hurts the habitat of these animals,” Algarin said.

The FWC said the new plan would issue limited permits, and hunting would also be allowed within bear management units that have at least 200 bears. The FWC would like to limit the total harvest to around 187 bears.

The agency said a little more than 4,000 black bears are in Florida.