Supporters of the hunt have claimed that overpopulation of the bears has caused a nuisance in local communities and that a regulated hunt is needed to regulate their population. Black bear numbers have grown steadily after being classified as a “threatened” animal from 1974 to 2012 in the state. There are now an estimated 4,000 bears in Florida.

Hopefully we can convince them, please, take a breath, and let’s not even start this again. But let’s also make sure that, if they do, we take all the worst things out of