Bill heads to governor allowing people to kill bears if threatened on private property

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill that would allow people to use lethal force to kill a bear without a permit or authorization if they feel threatened on private property passed through the House floor Thursday and will head to the governor.

The threat of death or serious bodily injury can be to a human, a pet, or to a dwelling.

Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, sponsored HB 87, which passed the House with a 83-28 vote. Sen. Corey Simon, R-Quincy, carried the Senate version of the bill.

An amendment previously added to the bill said a person won’t be penalized for killing a bear if the person “did not lure the bear with food or attractants for an illegal purpose, including, but not limited to, training dogs to hunt bears.”

A person will not face a penalty if they did not “did not intentionally or recklessly place himself or herself or a pet in a situation in which he or she would be likely to need to use lethal force,” according to the bill’s analysis.

A person must notify the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission within 24 hours after using lethal force to kill a bear.

The bill said that a person “may not possess, sell, or dispose of the taken bear or its parts.”

During debate, Rep. Katherine Waldron, D-Greenacres, said the bill is “enabling the mass murder of bears.”

“This bill is based on fear and not facts,” Waldron said. “Make no mistake, this bill was created by and for people looking for any excuse to be able to hunt and kill a bear.”

She argued that there are “no mechanisms in place” to prevent people from killing too many bears in the bill.

Waldron said the bill takes away the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s ability to investigate when a bear has been killed.

In closing, Shoaf corrected Waldron and said that the bill “in no way” takes away the commission’s ability to investigate.

“They can still do their investigation, I assure you they still will,” Shoaf said. “If someone is found to have lured a bear, or if someone is found to have shot a bear that climbed up a tree, or wasn’t destroying their dwelling, or threatening their child or their pet, they will go to jail.”

Shoaf said “we need to be able to protect ourselves” from bears.

The bill will head to the governor’s desk for final approval.