Let me start by saying that I don’t hunt. The last time I went hunting, it was for lobster (Florida has a lobster season, but I haven’t been in about 8 years or so). Still, I understand the important role played by hunting in the preservation of animal populations.
Florida, like every other state, has used hunting as a way to control populations of animals. For the first time in a few years, the state announced a lottery where 172 black bear tags would be issued to cull some of the animals, who are becoming overpopulated in the state. The tags would be given out through a random lottery system, with each ticket costing $5. Winners must then buy a $100 hunting license to harvest the bear, with nonresidents having to pay $300.
Animal rights groups bought thousands of tickets, pledging to not use them. The groups managed to win about a quarter of the available tags. They claim this will save the lives of bears.
They are also wrong.
Hunting is a way of controlling populations to sustainable levels, but nature has its own way of doing it. Overpopulated animals starve, die of disease, or are hit by cars. In the meantime, the overpopulated bears ravage other populations like deer, pets, your trashcans, and even people (although rare).
Still, to me there is a way to derail those plans for sabotaging the system: Make a rule saying anyone who wins a bear tag has 14 days to purchase the hunting license. If they fail to do so, the tag goes to someone else. If the cost goes from $5 to $305, you will see people less likely to try and game the system.
7 Comments
Barefoot Peckerwood · October 16, 2025 at 7:48 am
Other states require you to have a valid hunting license prior to being able.to purchase any animal lottery entries.
Milton · October 16, 2025 at 8:27 am
Don’t think this is a bug, D.M. It’s very likely that Florida Fish and Game tracks the KILLS, compares them to their goals, and then issues MORE tags available next year, thus offsetting the “wasted” tags. Meanwhile their department experiences a boost in revenues, from people that likely never supported F&G programs in the past.
Additionally, people negatively affected by overpopulated bears can blame the animal-nazis. WIN-WIN!
WallPhone · October 16, 2025 at 11:40 am
Indeed, this adverse possession of tickets makes for interesting math.
How do you maximize revenue by both encouraging the purchase by false buyers and also fully issuing enough harvest tags to manage a season’s population?
Joe Blow · October 17, 2025 at 6:02 am
Progressives are very good at activism. Right or wrong, you have to admire their moxy. They get behind a cause and go for it. All the marbles.
They don’t want hunters hunting bears. How can we stop them? Buy the hunting permits! The fact that your logic is at odds wit theirs is irrelevant. They are right, you are wrong, the ends justifies the means to them. They are perfectly willing to game the system, or ignore it entirely, to meet their ends. This is the same logic that allows them to celebrate the murder of their enemies (like Charlie Kirk). It’s and evil enemy within our nation.
mike fink · October 17, 2025 at 6:47 am
if the population continues to grow beyond what is desired, the state fish and game can simply decide that the lottery is not working and make the tags available for a general season. Interested hunters would need to pay extra for the bear tags, but only those interested would need to buy them. That system cannot be sabotaged by such peta tactics. The length of such an open season and the method(s) of take can be tailored to keep the kill within a desired range.
Gerry · October 17, 2025 at 8:35 am
There are two dynamics in animal populations. I remember the Pennsylvania numbers.
One is the carrying capacity for that specie, what is the limit of food and cover. Let’s say it is 80,000-100,000 bears.
The second and most important in some ways is the sociological carrying capacity. This takes in human bear interaction. Wrecked trash cans, damaged bee hives, vehicle accidents, pets and people attacked. The more this happens, the more public opinion turns against wildlife. This may limit places bears can live without effecting humans. In PA that number was 15-20,000 bears.
Every year young male bears end up in Philly and Pittsburgh. Too many bears even with over-the-counter bear tags.
Hariman · October 17, 2025 at 8:12 pm
I’m pretty sure it’s fraud to buy the lottery tickets while intending to never use them.
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