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Florida Moves to Legalize Self-Defense Against Bear Attacks
AmmoLand ^ | February 18, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 02/20/2024 3:56:08 AM PST by marktwain

On February 15, 2024, the Florida House passed CS/HB 87: Taking of Bears. The bill passed 88 to 29. It will now be sent to the Florida Senate. The bill has been prompted by a burgeoning black bear population in Florida, which has increased exponentially from 300 – 500 bears in 1974 to 2,650 in 2002 to an estimated 4,350 in 2016. No official population estimate has been made for eight years. The bear population increased 60% from 2002 to 2014/15. If the trend continues into 2024, the black bear population will be estimated at over 6,000. Cubs are not included in the population estimates. From a 2016 article published in the news-journalonline.com:

An estimated 4,350 adult black bears live across the state, an increase of 60 percent since the last statewide estimate in 2002, said Thomas Eason, director of habitat and species conservation for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

As the bear population has expanded into areas with a higher density of people, the greatest known cause of adult bear deaths is vehicle collisions. 276 bears were killed in vehicle collisions in 2020, 289 in 2021, and 286 in 2022. The most common cause of bear cub mortality is attacks by adult male bears.

The bill strikes to balance the protection of humans, their pets, and their homes with the protection of bears. Lethal force may be used to stop a bear only if the human reasonably fears for their safety, the safety of others, the safety of their pet, or substantial damage to a dwelling. From the bill:


(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: banglist; bear; bears; blackbear; blackbears; defense; fl; florida; plannedbearhood
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To: marktwain

>>>Using that, there should be 6,000 bears in Florida now.<<<

There must be, even more. We have bears here all the time. They come off Eglin AFB and raid peoples garbage cans, restaurants and even here at work in the industrial park. I’ve seen bears many times, even had to wait for one to cross the road so I could get to work. ...............


21 posted on 02/20/2024 5:32:24 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: marktwain

I don’t know about anyone else, but if I find myself threatened by a bear, I will not be waiting on some state general assembly to make a ruling allowing me to kill the bear. This is silly. Government has become silly.


22 posted on 02/20/2024 5:36:01 AM PST by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: marktwain

As far as I’m concerned, ZERO bears is the right number, since they have such a crappy attitude about life.


23 posted on 02/20/2024 5:40:09 AM PST by BobL (Trump gets my vote, even if I have to write him in; Millions of others will do the same)
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To: marktwain
Has the problem gotten worse since the cocaine traffic is up?


24 posted on 02/20/2024 5:47:55 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Magnum44

Bogart Bear.


25 posted on 02/20/2024 5:49:32 AM PST by gathersnomoss (Clown World)
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To: marktwain

My niece and NIL had black bear(s) wandering around their neighborhood in Gulf Breeze (Pensacola area) a few years back. I looked at the area on a map, and realized they were a few blocks from the Naval Live Oaks Nature Preserve. This is a piece of land that was kept for strategic materials in the day of wooden ships. Today, it is prime wildlife habitat right next to lots of neighborhoods. Black bear sightings shouldn’t be a surprise there.


26 posted on 02/20/2024 6:30:07 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: marktwain

A friend of mine lives near a protected forest that has an active bear population. His two dogs used to keep them out of his yard by barking. One summer day, that no longer worked. A bear pushed in a panel on the screen enclosing his pool so she and her two cubs could take a dip and rest in the shade. My friend’s two dogs quietly and glumly looked on from behind the safety of the sliding glass door to the house.


27 posted on 02/20/2024 6:34:09 AM PST by Rockingham (`)
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To: Fido969

If you hit a deer, the deer dies.

If you hit an elk, you die.


28 posted on 02/20/2024 6:36:15 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Objective: Permanently break the will of the population to ever wage war again.)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Maybe not every time ...

"OREGON WOMAN SURVIVES ELK COLLISION, CLAIMS ROADKILL"

https://www.rmef.org/elk-network/oregon-woman-survives-elk-collision-claims-roadkill/

29 posted on 02/20/2024 6:42:26 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Objective: Permanently break the will of the population to ever wage war again.)
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To: marktwain
Florida Moves to Legalize Self-Defense Against Bear Attacks

Look out Ned, "It's coming right for us!"

30 posted on 02/20/2024 8:48:01 AM PST by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken! )
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To: Red Badger

Cold Python——
.
Under $50.00 I bet in 1955


31 posted on 02/20/2024 3:34:48 PM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Big Red Badger

COLD!?!
I really try to proof read .

That is a Purdy piece.


32 posted on 02/20/2024 3:39:17 PM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Big Red Badger

The cost in the Python in the posted above was $150.00, I did not see a date anywhere look n the add.

Regards

alfa6 ;<}


33 posted on 02/20/2024 4:20:02 PM PST by alfa6 ( As I near my 7th decade I still wonder>>>When is old enough to know better suppose to kick in!!!)
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To: marktwain
If it's him or me it ain't gonna be me.

That's the Law.

34 posted on 02/20/2024 4:24:29 PM PST by Manic_Episode (A government of the government, by the government, for the government)
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To: Big Red Badger

Tells you how much our money has shrunk...................


35 posted on 02/20/2024 4:30:16 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: alfa6; Red Badger

I think it read 1955...
Current snake guns I’ve seen are
Close to $2000. -——yikes!
Seriously I’m having Fun just using the
.22 LR up in my GP100.


36 posted on 02/20/2024 4:56:05 PM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

“I don’t care what the state laws say. If a bear attacks you, you have a right to self-defense.”

You have always had the right to self defense. This clarifies defense of pets and adds protection of buildings.


37 posted on 02/21/2024 2:41:59 PM PST by TexasGator
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