Well, it is official. We are having our first bear hunt in FL in over 20 years. I have a license. I have also patterned some bears. I expect to get one.

It has been a bit unusual thus far. The following is some of the pre-hunt craziness:

1- I have been contacted multiple times by the antis.

2- I have been contacted by 2 TV stations who want to follow me and film.

3- The antis are insane. Some of their ideas are so stupid it defies description. For example, one group is actively seeking recruits to go to the check stations and photograph vehicles and license plates in order that they can match them to the hunting license list to assure there are no unlicensed hunters. I guess it never occurred to them that poachers won't check the bears. And they breed and vote.

Hopefully, I will have a picture of a big bear by Saturday mid day.

Good Luck my friend! Kill a big one. Bear meat reminds me of pot roast, you'll enjoy it!

Sir lawerence,welcome to what we deal,with everyday in,California The land of fruits an,nuts.kill a big Bruin! ..... Gordo!

Good luck bear is very good eating.

Hints field dress ASP skin and get the meat cooled down as fast as you can.

Bears retain a lot of heat a hour or two delay in the heat down there could result in ruined meat

Good luck! Looking forward to the pictures.

Good luck on the bear hunt.

When I lived in Crawfordville (south of Tallahassee) I saw a damn big bear walking across the road one evening.

Sweet, wish I could hunt bear every year, good luck on your hunt.

Is this one big enough?

Don't tell me you just took pictures of it!!!!

With bears, it's little ears and wide apart, short legs.............

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:


Is this one big enough?

Yes Larry the picture is plenty big enough

http://www.orlandosentinel.com...-20151024-story.html


First bear kills arrive at check station, video,photos, in article.

I sat for7 hours this morning. I saw big boy but could not get a shot. Trying a different bear this afternoon.

More coverage here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...begins-one-week.html

quote:

Reply

Well, our zone has exceeded its quota. My bear hunt is over.

Well, Larry??? Did you score?

No Rick.
I saw the big boy about 10:30 this morning. Had I known the season was going to last a single day, I would have been more aggressive . I figured that I would get him tomorrow .

In addition , I went to a different place this afternoon. The big bear who had been hanging there every day for 3 weeks did not show.

Damn the luck! Maybe Next year......

quote:

Had I known the season was going to last a single day

Many have learned the hard way on these limited tags.

Are wolf season was the same way if you didn't take one early you lost out. What that tells me is the population is a lot bigger then they estimated.

Ky archery bear season opened on Sat as well. Limited to 10 bear (5 females). Open for 7 days or til limit taken. Closed for today! Open area covered about 12 counties of eastern Ky. We need many more bears taken around here. Have had 7 different bear in my yard this summer/fall!!

Holly smokes!!!

That's a pig of a Black Bear!!!

Absolutely amazing how many bears got taken in just two days! Shows how well the population must have been doing.
Sorry you didn't get your bear Larry. Who would have possibly thought the season would be so short?....

I got the following e mail this morning :


To you, the one that feels that killing innocent beings is justified,

If you feel the criteria for killing nearly 300 bears are that they tip over some garbage cans and walk through your yard , then I need to ask will dogs, cats and children be next? By participating in an event like the Florida bear hunt you have demonstrated the same perverted thinking as the Nazis!
Animals were here long before human kind and it is not our right to be their judge, jury and executioner! There is no reason why we as humans cannot live beside them in peace.
You should also know that this is a mass email that is being sent to all 3000 persons who applied for a license to kill a bear in Florida. This is not a threat but more of a warning , although we as animal rights activists were not able to stop the killing we are more than capable of making you wish you had not involved yourself in this evil endeavor. Next time the urge to kill another earthling creeps upon you , you might want to think of this email and know that in this world of real time instant social media that nothing absolutely nothing goes unnoticed! We won't forget. Don't forgive. We are no longer blind to the violence. Expect us.

They were public records . The state had no choice.

Larry I'm sorry you didn't get your bear, it looked like a good one. I think we'd all have loved to see some close up pictures of that bear. Hopefully, there will be future bear hunts and you are able to pattern and connect with a bear just as good as that one.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They were public records . The state had no choice.

I'd get things changed, I'd bet since it's public record you could get the other bear hunters together and file a petition/lawsuit to get your license information for future hunts off public record. I don't see where personal information of licensed hunters needs to be public information. I think with 3000 +/- hunters as petitioners/plaintiffs you could get things changed pretty rapidly. Especially if you could get local and national hunting conservation groups involved as well.

In Colorado you have the option of allowing your info to be released to third parties. This is mainly to allow property owners and outfitters to know what tags were drawn in their GMU's and then the hunter is usually contacted for trespass, drop camp, or guided hunts. I'd try to get FL to do something similar, so it's your option if you want your info out there for the world to see.

Yet another:


and Hello
Im sure you must have received a tonne of emails regarding the above matter by now. The only fact that I know about you is you are an animal hunter with no regards for life. If this is not true, then please accept my apologies and disregard this email.

Bears are just like you and me, they feel pain and hunger, cold and sufferings when inflicted with pain. They are just as protective of their young as any human mommy. They feel panic and fear when they feel threatened . While I understand they can be sort of a nuisance i find it hard to justify killing them, robbing the young of their parents and leaving them helpless and defenseless. Why anyone would want a dead animal carcass in their living room is disturbing and revolting. It is alleged that as many as 300 bear cubs could be orphaned now because many of the bears killed were lactating mommies. What a shameful tragedy! As a parent, i shuddered at the thought of leaving my children defenseless and helpless, the worst nightmare for any parent. And to think the bear cubs' now precarious plight is man caused makes it even more tragic! While some profess its for relaxation and enjoyment, isn't there another outlet for relaxation without inflicting pain suffering fear to the innocents especially loss of innocent lives? How about the impact on the young who are now left defenseless without their parents to protect and nurture them?

There are other more humane ways of curbing the bear population without resorting to taking of lives. We are humans. We save lives, not rob the innocents of their right to live.Our actions have far reaching effects that are unimaginable. Depending on your beliefs, I firmly believe in Karma, that we are only as good as our actions and what goes around comes around. We are all children of God, entitled to liberty and freedom. No one has the right to determine who gets to live or die, or if one life is less worthy than the other. I hope we can find ways of resolving our differences without resorting to violence and loss of lives. Each and every life is precious and to be preserved!

Thank you for reading this email.

Best
Meg
New York

Larry, that one email sounds like a threat or at least intimidation. I'd turn it over to the FBI and let them rattle there cage !

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

3- The antis are insane. Some of their ideas are so stupid it defies description. For example, one group is actively seeking recruits to go to the check stations and photograph vehicles and license plates in order that they can match them to the hunting license list to assure there are no unlicensed hunters. I guess it never occurred to them that poachers won't check the bears. And they breed and vote.

Amen to that larry. It is just disturbing to see what some of these guys do....

quote:

Originally posted by twilli:
Larry, that one email sounds like a threat or at least intimidation. I'd turn it over to the FBI and let them rattle there cage !

It always amazed me that non hunter non gun owners threating one that does both.