Ask the Governor to call off the hunt

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Governor Ron DeSantis

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To [Decision Maker],

I am writing to convey my strong opposition to the Florida black bear hunt and the associated rules passed by your appointed Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissioners.

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I am concerned that the hunt that was passed in August 2025 is not science-based. FWC staff have testified that more bear population data will be available soon. It was premature for FWC to pass a new hunt in the absence of this information.

Florida's black bear population is already experiencing high mortality rates due to roadkills, as well as a significant number of bears being killed by the FWC due to human-bear conflicts. Addressing these issues should be the state's priority, both for the safety of the bears as well as for human safety.

Work with your FWC Commissioners to prioritize and increase work on addressing trash and attractants management, protecting bear habitat from development and fragmentation, and increasing the population in the three regions of Florida where the black bear subpopulations are struggling to survive.

The public has expressed deep concern for expanded hunt methods, such as the use of baiting and dogs. These tactics raise many concerns, including the possibility of baiting resulting in food-habituated bears, and the use of dogs attacking not only bears but also other wildlife. Both of these tactics may erode the "fair chase" principle associated with ethical and sportsman-like conduct. Further, the hunt -and these types of methods in particular- are incredibly controversial and threaten the reputation of Florida as a conservation leader.

The state of Florida should commit to using the 2025 bear hunt funds (received from both hunters and non-hunters seeking quota tags) to resolve the critical issue of trash and attractants management. Florida did this in 2015, and those funds helped to address the most important issue regarding black bears: unsecured garbage.

I urge you to end the hunt on Florida black bears and instead focus on prioritizing the issues that are the most critical for bears in the state. Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]