Buy Up the Bear hunting tags
This is to summarize the methodology and answer questions.
On May 21, the FWC Commissioners voted 4-1 to change the hunting rules to have a bear hunt every year using dogs to chase/kill bears, allowing baiting of bears, having no check stations, allowing archery and delegating the annual quota to the Executive Director so that the public has no further input.
Because this year there will be 187 bear hunting permits issued on a lottery basis available to entrants who must have a Florida hunting license and pay $5 per entry fee (unlimited entries allowed) some of us are getting licensed to enter the lottery and buy up as many of the 187 permits as possible.
For instance, if every Floridian entered the lottery, only 1.87 bears -rounded to 2 - would be killed because only 1% of Florida citizens actually hunt.
Here is a quick rundown of how to become a part of this effort:
Buy a Hunting License
Go to the website GoOutdoorsFlorida.com
Register as a user.
“Click Here to Get a License”
Find the $17/$13.50/free “fresh/hunt” hunting license depending on your age.
Put it in your cart.
Check out with credit card.
Thanks to Amendment 2 "The Right to Hunt" you do not need to be a Florida citizen or even a U.S. citizen to buy a Florida hunting license. If you win a bear hunting tag in the lottery, it will cost you $300 versus $100 for in-state "hunters."
Enter the Bear Tag Lottery
Wait for FWC to finalize the new rules 8/13 .
Shortly thereafter you will be able to enter the lottery for a bear tag At $5 per entry, enter as many times as you can.
If you win, buy the tag for $100.
Happy hunting (or not).
Hunt runs 12/6 to 12/28.
Unused tags must be returned to the FWC 14 days after the hunt ends.
187 tags issued, no minimum number of tags used.
Hunter Safety Course Not Required
When purchasing your hunting license, people born before June 1, 1975 do not need to take the FWC Hunter Safety Course.
If you were born after June 1, 1975 you can still obtain your hunting license without taking the FWC Hunter Safety Course if you check the box requesting deferral from the hunter safety certification requirement.
See more here: https://myfwc.com/hunting/safety-education/mentoring/