I have two thoughts about the Florida bear hunt this year.
1. The fact the limit on taking bears from two of the four Bear Management Units where the season was open was reached within one day demonstrates how overly populated the areas were with bears. (There are seven BMUs, but hunting was not open in three of them.)
2. Some people do not seem to understand how dangerous to humans it can be to have bears living in close proximity.
While in Alaska I learned that the mighty Grizzly Bear attacks humans when the bear feels threatened. It is not looking to eat you. In contrast, the Black Bear (regardless of fur color) is know to track and attack humans as prey. They intend to eat you! Our bears in Florida are Black Bears.
Contrary to general belief, it is not the female Black Bear protecting her cubs that is most dangerous to humans, but rather the lone, predatory, male Black Bear who stalks humans as prey
to eat.
Most fatal attacks by North American black bears during the past century were conducted by lone, male animals that stalked and then killed their human victims as prey, according to a new study by the world's top authority on what triggers bear attacks. See The Journal of Wildlife Management.
Fatal attacks by American black bear on people: 1900–2009 - Herrero - 2011 - The Journal of Wildlife Management - Wiley Online Library