In the wake of last month's decision by state wildlife officials to forgo a bear hunt in 2017, Floridians living on the fringes of forested areas are being advised to make better use of bear-proof garbage cans.

  • Cans demonstrated with black bears
  • FWC spending more than $800,000 to equip bear-prone communities
  • 11 counties participating, including Seminole County

In a demonstration at the Tallahassee Museum Thursday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials set up one of the cans and deployed a duo of black bears. Despite aggressive clawing and shoving, the bears weren't able to open the can's lid.

At the direction of the Florida Legislature, the agency is spending more than $800,000 to outfit bear-prone communities with the cans. So far, 11 counties have taken the state up on its offer.

"What we're hoping is the more equipment that's out there, the more folks realize this is working and the counties or the cities could actually incorporate that into their next waste management contract that says 'hey, we're in bear country, this is something I expect you to offer us at a reasonable rate'," said FWC bear management specialist Dave Telesco.

The FWC's 4-3 vote against holding a bear hunt this year has sparked a backlash from hunters and non-hunters alike who live near traditional bear habitats, including the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida.

With Florida's black bear population rebounding from fewer than 100 two decades ago to well over 4,000 today, bear attacks have been on the rise, as well.

"Have you been into the woods dragging your bear-proof can back, wondering if the cub or the bear is right next to you when you go get your garbage can?" Chris Doolin of the Florida Small County Coalition asked FWC commissioners at a 2015 hearing. "It's not a pleasant experience."

The FWC authorized a bear hunt in 2015 - Florida's first in 21 years - which was terminated after just two days in which hunters killed more than 300 bears. Conservationists declared the hunt a travesty, arguing that humans were inviting bears into urban areas by failing to secure their garbage.

"Regardless if we have a hunt or not, we need to do this," Telesco said of the bear-proof cans.