Florida Black Bear
 

Anyone going to give it a shot. Looked at some of the info and not impressed with season dates. Doesn't even look like its worth the money.

I used to live in FL and I saw some really big bears. Since they haven't been legally hunted in a long, long time I imagine most of the first hunters will be residents and not non-residents. After all, there is no bear hunting infrastructure in place to support a bunch of non-residents hunting them. Besides, don't be surprised if the antis don't find a way to stop it. FL is full of displaced idiots from NY, NJ and MA.

That being said, I don't think I'll be hunting them. Most the bear I saw in FL were pretty scruffy in the coat. It gets hot there so you won't see any really good thick fur on a bear in FL. I've got some bear skins from CO and Canada so I don't see myself getting another one in FL.

$100 for a 7 day hunt doesn't sound that inviting for a resident.

It does when you factor in they haven't had a bear season in FL in any living person's lifetime. Tell me Pete, is it cheaper for a FL resident to pay $100 to hunt one in FL or is it cheaper for them to go to CO, pay a non-resident fee, and hunt them in a 5-7 day season there? CO has some really short seasons as well and a non-resident tag is well over $300. As a matter of fact a resident will spend $41 for the tag plus $10 for the habitat fee which comes to $51 and I know places in FL I could kill a bear a lot easier than I can get one in CO. So it is all relative.

Actually it makes sense to have a really short season for the first year or two. I know several guys that see bear nearly every time they sit in their deer stands. A short season will keep it from getting out of hand since FL bear really aren't too spooky since they have never been exposed to getting hunted. Last thing they need is a large scale slaughter that will give the antis more ammo to shut it down and as I saw in my native CO, bear seasons can be shut down at the ballot box.

I can hunt here for a whole month for $41. That's a better deal, and i'm sure we have a lot more bears too. Non residents have nothing to do with what I said.

Ask a Florida resident if they think it's a good deal?

I know one who doesn't.

http://www.frontiermuzzleloading.com...s-now-official

I can do better than that. I've been a member of a hunting and fishing forum in FL for years. Why don't you go on it and see what the folks there have to say. They're pretty happy about it.

http://fohaf.com/phpbb3/index.php

If you don't want to hunt bear in FL, and I for one don't, then don't hunt them there. Why take a crap on what is basically a good thing? FL hunters have been pushing for a bear season for decades and now they have one. That's a positive, not a negative so why are you trying to degrade it.

By the way, how many bear have you taken in CO? I'm willing to bet I've taken more than you have. But what does the number of bear in CO or anyplace else have to do with the fact that FL hunters can now legally hunt bear for the first time in their lives? You've clearly stated many times that the only place you want to hunt is in CO, so why do you care what a FL bear tag costs unless you're thinking of hunting one there?

Besides, it ain't about what you're willing to pay, it is about what a FL hunter is willing to pay and $100 is the cheapest way a FL hunter can get a bear since they are forced to hunt them as a non-resident until now and there is no way they can go to another state and hunt a bear for $100. Not gonna happen. Like I said, be happy for them and don't always be so bloody negative.

I'd be happy. there's something cool about being able to hunt things in your home state.. at least to me. For example. I fully intend to hunt out west for elk as money allows. But I also pay the $10 every year to put in for the PA Elk draw... They'd be two totally different hunts, and a Colorado elk would be much more of your typical elk hunt as opposed to hunting one here in the limited PA areas.. But I would LOVE to take a PA Elk. Just would. I'd imagine many Florida hunters feel the same way.
-Jake

As usual Flag. You're bragging is an eyesore to read. You know everything, and anybody else's opinion has no value.

I'm done with you. Anything else you post will be ignored by me, so don't bother responded. Unless your ego won't let you not get the last word in.

BTW Let me leave a thought for you to mull over in that swelled head of yours. I was hunting for bear before you were born. Cya.

I think the guys who put on Florida hog hunts will be able to make the switch pretty easily. Maybe a combo hunt of some sort.

The important thing is that they protected bears until they made a recovery. Now they are putting a mechanism in place to manage them.

Good for Florida!

To the OP, glad you got a bear season. I hope you can end up taking a bruin if you decide to participate. The $100 is the cheapest way you'll ever do it. Don't let Pete's inherent negativity affect you. Bye-Bye Petey. Don't let the door hit ya as you go off to pout. Besides, we both know you'll respond to something I post in the future.How many times have you claimed you'll "ignore" me? Yet here we are.

once bear populations start to pick up they must be aggressively managed, my great uncle hunted here his whole life, was a regular member of the bear hunters in the area, in 60 years of hunting he took 2 bears, I started bear hunting in 1978, killed my first in 1984, the population exploded in the 90's killed 12 more and just go hunting to hang out with friends, don't want anymore, and we still have way to many bears today. good luck fl hunters, whack'em and stack'em
RR

As is usually the case with dangerous game here in the lower 48 anyway; they wait until people start getting killed in their own backyards before they allow us to hunt them.

Even the Dept. of Fish & Game seem to hide the facts from the general public until it's to late !!!

I personally wouldn't call Black Bear "Dangerous Game" Sheridan. They are extremely shy and easily scared off. Of course you have those VERY rare instances where one will attack but that is pretty much ANY animal of a predatory nature. I have more fear of "domesticated" dogs than I do of a wild black bear. I've encountered hundreds of Black Bear in the woods and never once has one offered to charge. Browns on the other hand is a whole different story. They do typically run off as well but they are much more inclined to charge than a Black.

For those who might read this thread - PLEASE be aware that a black bear with cubs will attack ANYTHING she feels might threaten her cubs.

I call that "Dangerous Game" !!!

http://1source.basspro.com/index.php...-north-america

There is a difference between "Dangerous Game" and a "Dangerous Animal". Dangerous Game can and more than likely will charge and attack where a dangerous animal (pretty much anything with teeth that weighs over 50 pounds) will USUALLY only charge or attack when threatened or cornered. 90% of the time a Sow Black with cubs will ONLY charge if there is NO way out other than through you. They will take their cubs out opposite the direction of perceived danger. I've been in Black Bear territory most all of my life. Played with cubs and stomped at Sows chasing them away from camp more times than I can count. People gather the VERY few instances where Blacks attack and create panic against an animal that is quite docile and shy for the most part. Swell up, Stand up, and NEVER turn your back to a Black and 99.9% of the time they will go the opposite direction. And that link you provided is seriously incorrect on both weight (they say the blacks AVERAGE between 600-800 pounds) as well as there attack average. You would be VERY hard pressed to find 600-800 pound black bears in the lower 48 and that attack average is so incorrect it's not even funny. They have taken attacks from one state (Alaska) that's not even in the lower 48 and averaged them into the nation as a whole. And those attacks in Alaska are more the peoples own fault with not handling their trash properly and allowing a NORMALLY shy animal to get accustomed to humans and losing their natural fear.

That kind of stuff doesn't happen in JUST Alaska anymore............

Occurrences in neighborhoods across America now.


They are wild dangerous animals !

As are any ones you mentioned that weight-in & have teeth.


As outdoors-men hopefully we have learned to take nothing for granted !!!