HB 87 “Taking of Bears,” is waiting to be read on the House Floor in its amended version. We urge you to contact Governor DeSantis immediately and respectfully request he VETO HB 87 “Taking of Bears” if it passes the final House vote.

Phone: (850) 717-9337
Email: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com

If signed into law, this bill will have significant implications for Florida's black bears, other wildlife, and our ecosystems.

Under the current law, the Common Law Defense of Necessity allows individuals to defend themselves against wildlife. However, HB 87 expands this provision to include the defense of property while also stripping the FWC of its authority to investigate and charge individuals for unjustifiably killing bears.

Let's be clear: this is not about prioritizing bears over humans. We all value the right to self-defense and the protection of loved ones. However, existing laws already safeguard these rights.

It's essential to emphasize that non-lethal solutions, such as bear-resistant trash cans, have proven highly effective in reducing (by over 95%) bear-human conflicts worldwide. This bill, unfortunately, does not prioritize these measures.

Killing/hunting bears does not reduce or eliminate bear-human conflicts.

HB 87 will permit the killing of Florida black bears year-round, with no safeguards in place to prevent over-killing. Individuals who kill black bears will do so with impunity.

The facts speak for themselves: Florida black bears are not a significant threat to human safety. Unprovoked bear attacks are exceedingly rare, and no one in Florida has ever been killed by a black bear.

Conservation efforts must focus on non-lethal methods to mitigate bear-human conflicts. Both Republicans and Democrats, hunters and non-hunters, wildlife biologists and conservationists stand united against this legislation.

Thank you for your advocacy!