Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS via Flickr
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commissioners voted Wednesday to allow the killing of 320 bears during next month’s bear hunt.
The hunt is scheduled for Oct. 24-30, and so far, almost 2,000 people have bought licenses to kill a bear, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Florida’s bear population is estimated to be around 3,150.
The Times also noted how one wildlife commissioner, Immokalee rancher Liesa Priddy, bought a license for the bear hunt and also motioned to set a quota. Priddy is the same commissioner who pushed the agency for a new policy on panthers, suggesting the animals may no longer need the “endangered” designation.
During the marathon meeting, wildlife officers blocked one reporter from asking commissioners questions during a break and threatened to throw out a different reporter for trying to talk to one of the people speaking at the meeting, according to the Times.
