Floridians could kill black bears when threatened at home under a bill ready for House vote
TALAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida residents could soon be able to kill bears that threaten them on their property without any consequences — if they don’t lure or provoke them first or turn them into food or rugs later.
A measure approved in the House’s final committee break on Tuesday would allow people without hunting licenses to use lethal force against a bear that threatens a human, a pet or a home. The bill was introduced in November amid a growing number of encounters between humans and the large mammals, but one that is upsetting bear lovers.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Jason Shoaf, described how dangerous an encounter with bears can be.
“If you hear your door being kicked in in the middle of the night, you hear something prowling around in your kitchen,” he said. “There’s a huge black bear destroying it, digging through your refrigerator, endangering you, your children and your pets. You can’t shoot that bear today. You have to sit there and blow a whistle and hope you have some bear mace…and pray.”
The House Infrastructure Strategies Committee approved the bill on a 16-9 vote. A similar bill in the Senate has passed two committees and has a third hold before being considered by the full chamber.
If it becomes law, anyone who kills a bear in such a situation would be required to report the incident to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission within 24 hours and would not be allowed to keep or sell meat or parts of the bear. .
While there was little discussion that bear encounters are concerning, opponents of the bill said the Florida black bear is a timid animal and that unprovoked attacks are rare and fatal attacks even more so. Instead of making it easier to kill bears, opponents say the state should better educate residents on how not to attract them.
Democratic Rep. Mike Gottlieb said people are much more likely to be killed by alligators, dogs and bees.
“I’m not sure this is a problem, we just need to find a solution quickly by going ahead and killing bears because you’re afraid,” Gottlieb said. “We need a different solution.”
But Republican Rep. Cyndi Stevenson said she will defend herself no matter what comes before her house.
“If a man comes through my window, or a bear or a raccoon, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “That is a threat to my life and property.”
Florida’s bear population has recovered after declining to about 300 in the 1970s. The state allowed a limited bear hunt in 2015, when the population was estimated at 3,500. The decision was wildly popular among hunters — more than 3,200 hunters bought permits to participate, including 1970s rocker Ted Nugent — and was widely criticized by bear enthusiasts.
The hunt was supposed to last a month, but ended after 304 bears were killed in two days. The state backed away from the idea of retaining more.