Florida pushes forward with plan to open bear hunting season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Florida is pushing forward on allowing limited black bear hunting for the first time in decades as part of an aggressive plan to manage the animals after four attacks in the past year.

On Thursday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said its staff is putting together a hunting plan that it will review in April. Hunting could resume as soon as this fall.

Thomas Eason, director of habitat and species conservation for the commission, says opening a weeklong hunting season is only part of the overall approach to managing a resurging bear population.

The state also plans to get more bear-resistant trashcans in the thousands of homes near bear habitats. Studies have shown they are effective in keeping the animals away from humans.