The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission directed staff to move forward with a proposal for another bear hunt in the state of Florida.At a meeting in December in Lakeland, commissioners said the proposal could be ready as early as May. Staff would gather input from the public.Mike Orlando, the FWC's Bear Management Program Coordinator, updated the commission on the state's bear management plan. It highlighted recent bear management and research efforts. Orlando said FWC received more than 6,000 calls annually related to bears. "Calls may range from a positive interaction like someone seeing their first bear in the forest to a negative interaction that requires some FWC action," said Orlando. Researchers estimate more than 4,000 bears live in the state of Florida. State wildlife officials say an increasing population of both bears and people may lead to more opportunities for conflict. Orlando said the state is split into 7 Bear Management Units. Most bears are located in Central Florida, South Florida and portions of the Panhandle. "Almost 300 bears are killed by vehicles each year, and despite our best efforts, on average, one person per year is injured by a bear," said Orlando.Close to 20 people spoke during public comment regarding a future bear hunt. Katrina Shadix, Executive Director of Bear Warriors United, said she is against another bear hunt. She called a hunt "trophy killing." "We have a people problem. We need to manage our people, not the bears. We're the ones who know how to read. The bears don't know how to read signs or brochures about securing our trash," she said. Shadix focuses her efforts on educating the public on how to coexist with bears. "Educating people on living in bear country, securing your trash, number one, first and foremost, it's the best thing you can do if you want to be a responsible Floridian living in bear habitat," she said. Newton Cook with United Waterfowlers Florida said he encourages the FWC to pursue another hunt. "If we're going to have a natural distribution of wildlife. It's important that we use man in the picture," he said. Supporters also argued a hunt can reduce overcrowding which helps prevent harm to both bears and humans. Comments from the public may be submitted to FWC staff by emailing [email protected].