Bears

Florida could move toward its first sanctioned bear hunt in nearly a decade.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday directed officials to bring forward proposals for a possible bear hunt. The proposals are expected to be completed by a May commission meeting, giving staff members time to compile data from ongoing studies about bear populations and gather more public input.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a controversial measure that will bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property, while vetoing a bill that would have prevented motorists from cruising in the left lanes of highways.

A natural part of living in Florida is sometimes interacting with wild animals — including Florida black bears. Wildlife officers trapped and tranquilized a black bear on Monday near downtown Fort Myers. Bears are pretty wily and mostly move around at night so most people have probably never even seen one, or even know that we have black bears in this part of Florida, let alone wandering through our neighborhoods. We talk with a bear expert with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about bears in Florida, how they behave, and what we can do to minimize neighborhood interactions with them.

People would be allowed to kill bears on their property without permits if they feel threatened or think it is necessary for protection, under a bill that moved forward Tuesday in the Florida House.

It’s been nearly eight years since the last state-sanctioned bear hunt, and Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith said Florida needs to find solutions as encounters between the animals and humans are increasing.“We need to look at some different ways of doing things,” Smith told The News Service of Florida on Monday.During the past few weeks, a woman in the rural Gulf Coast county southwest of Tallahassee had to lock herself inside a bedroom as a bear broke into her home. In a separate incident, a woman was trapped in a car by a large black bear.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials confirmed Thursday that the state won’t hold a bear hunt this year.

Bears begin eating more calories in the fall to pack on additional fat needed during the winter months. Bears will consume up to 20,000 calories per day and will snack on anything that’s convenient, including what's in your garbage.

Bears begin eating more calories in the fall to pack on additional fat needed during the winter months. Bears will consume up to 20,000 calories per day and will snack on anything that’s convenient, including what's in your garbage.

Techniques to manage Florida’s black bear population over the next decade, including the possibility of regulated hunting, will be among the items the...

Springtime in North Florida means blooming flowers, trips to the beach and more active black bears. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission...