A vote is expected this week on another bear hunt.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is meeting Wednesday to discuss a course of action for a proposed bear hunt later this year.
The Florida black bear hunt last year killed 304 bears. This year, the state could allow hunters to kill even more bears.
The hunt proposed for this year hasn't even gotten the thumbs up and it's already facing protests. One took place during the weekend in St. Petersburg.
Last year's hunt was supposed to curb the black bear population in the state that was then estimated at 3,500. According to the Citrus County Chronicle, that number is now an estimated 4,350.
Here's the four ideas that will be introduced this week:
- Allowing three 4-day periods if hunting in late October
- A one-week hunt like last year
- No bear hunts at all until 2017
- Prohibiting any hunts for several years
Hunting would be open in 32 counties in the panhandle from Bay, Jackson and Washington counties east to the Atlantic Ocean, excluding Nassau and Duval counties.
In southwest Florida, hunting would be allowed in Collier, Lee and Hendry counties.