hunting

The Florida hunt exposed deep emotional divisions among animal rights activists and hunters. In social media forums and in dueling media interviews, the groups fiercely debated the morals and heritage of hunting, the science of bear biology and its ecosystem – arguing even about the Biblical aspects of whether God would approve.

The bears were physically checked by FWC staff and contracted bear response staff. The agency said that a full report will be released in the coming months. The FWC did not break out the data to show how many bears were killed in each of the four approved bear hunting zones or the sex of the bears killed.

The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.

The proposed rules include a lottery-style permitting process, up to 187 bears being killed in four areas of the state and guidelines to encourage hunters to kill male bears.

“The only justification the FWC [Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] has given for having the hunt is to offer an opportunity for trophy hunters to bag a bear,” the group Bear Defenders said in a statement announcing the protests.

Florida voters approved 2 of four ballot measures proposed by the Legislature, putting hunting and fishing rights in the state Constitution and making a property-tax change. But proposals backed by Republican lawmakers to hold partisan school-board elections and end public financing of political campaigns fell short.

Registration has opened for Florida's annual python hunting challenge. The competition is not for the faint of heart.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission extended alligator hunting hours from 5 p.m. till 10 a.m. to 24 hours during the season.

The change in hours would help hunters better schedule their trips and potentially allow more people to participate.

The steady drop is expected to accelerate in coming years, threatening the much-lauded model through which the U.S. has paid for conservation.

This story was originally published on August 8, 2013. Jackson Landers grew up in a vegetarian household. Now he hunts and butchers much of his own meat.…