Florida Bear Hunting
 

Should the State of Florida open bear season (statewide) in the same fashion as they do gator hunting?

I'm think'n the only reason they haven't is because of all the "anti's". the "anti's" don't want us controlling the bear population because bears are "cute and fuzzy". Have you ever seen an "anti" protesting for a bat?!?! Noooo, because they aren't "cute and fuzzy"!

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

i would love to see them open a bear hunt. whether it's like the gator hunts or a tag drawing i would be interested.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

Cop, you're right on the anti's! Then again, 2 or 3 are killed by vehicles every week on US19 from Homosasa to Homosasa Springs. Makes no sense!!!

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I agree..i'd be nice to be given theoportunity to hunt bear in FL, either by lottery or another means...

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I sure wish they would make it legal..you can't even kill one if they are killing your stock..we had nine goats killed by bear over the last 4 years..i finally put up an electric fence and stopped them..I got 5 acres in Lake county about 4 miles east of Sorrento.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

Brother Wayne, I raised goats for over 20yrs and just before Xmas, sold them all!:)Nubians

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

that's what we have , nubians..only have four now

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I had 4 ewes and 1 ram and use to sell the lambs.
I had 8 does and 1 big potent billy and always had 4 or 6 kids for sale.Did you ever milk them? Back in the 70's and 80's I use to make cheese, salted and unsalted. I use to get $5 a lb. Would sell all I could make.
Two years ago I sold all my Californian rabbits, I had 50 does and4 good bucks andbutcherd the young ones to sell for meat. I was getting$2 a lb cut and wrapped and was selling about 20lbs a week.
I also sold all the 50 White Rock chickens, was selling 10-to 15 doz eggs a week, was getting $1 a doz.In the 80's I had a hen and rooster penned together of the same breed form all over the world and was getting $1 an egg for hatching. Had different breeds of geese and duck'sand guineas and would sell the eggs for hatching.
All I have now is 4 steers and one heifer. I started in 1967 here on my place.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I think they should open one! I went hunting in the beginning of last november for deer in Tallahasee on the Apalachicola forest and i saw 7 black bears includins a saw w/ 2 cubs. One of them i saw it from my ground blind @ 24yards away. it was like 260-270 lbs. And they are not affraid of people! I think that they are waiting for a hunter or someone else to get hurt to open a bear season here in Florida!!!!! JMHO!!!

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

Rivera, I hunted Aucilla WMA for over 5yrs, 23 milesSW of Tallahasee and I use to see black bears everytime I went out.:)

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

But i think that 7 in one day are a lot!!!

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I hunt in Lake County and the Ocala National Forest And had my second deer I ever killed taken by 3 bears this year during bow season. When I was following I got within 25 yards of them before I seen them in the dark then they started growling at me. It was only 35 min. from the time I shot the deer to the time I found it with the bears on it. I realy think that they need to open a bear season. They are realy geting over-populated.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

I agree 100%! They are starting to relate gun shots as "The Dinner Bell"and will come running when they hear a shot.There's been case'swith Cougersdoing the same thingto hunters in the Glades.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

Bout 25yrs ago I had a little run in with a sow and 3 cubs in Ocala..I was bow hunting from my loc on and they came right under me. I gently spooked the sow off and the cubs almost climbed up with me in my stand. Two got about head high five foot from me and one stayed on the ground right under me. The sow I couldn't see was in some planted pines about 30yds. off and I could hear her popping her teeth.
The cubs finally went to her and everything ended well. Could have been a lot different...I was lucky. I also read in the Florida Sportsman mag. that the way bear season was closed in fl. was they went door to door asking people if we should have a bear season. Almost all who answered didn't even know we had bears..anyway the mag. said 40% of the people said we shouldn't and the state closed it. I don't care nothing about hunting them but would like to be able to shoot them if needed without being put in jail. You even run over one accidently and they want to lock you up. Rock Springs Run and Seminole Forest WMAis eat up with them.

RE: Florida Bear Hunting
 

You're a better man than I am Ifly, if any bear gets that close to me, i'm "Corkin It". Better to be tried by 12 than carried by six.