Florida Bear Hunt to Harvest very Small Number of Bears

Black bears in northern Wisconsin, courtesy Dean Weingarten

 

Florida is permitting a bear hunt from December 6 to December 28, 2025. The hunt administrators will issue a meager 187 permits for bears, based on a lottery system. A chance to obtain a bear permit will cost $5. There is not limit to the number of chances which can be submitted per person. If someone with $5 million dollars wanted to submit a million lottery chances, they could do so.  However, only one win can be used to obtain a permit per person. It a person submits 100 chances and wins five, only one permit will be allowed to that person. From pnj.com:

Here's the catch: Regardless of how many entries a person wins, they are only entitled to receive one non-transferable permit.

Lottery winners will be notified and allowed to purchase a bear hunting permit, which will cost Florida residents $100 and out-of-state residents $300. No more than 10% of permits can be issued to non-residents from outside the state.

The number of permits has been reduced to 172, from the proposed 187. The number is based on a premise of "if all the bear hunters killed fertile female bears, the harvest would not reduce the bear population.  From orlandoweekly.com:

 After saying last month that it would issue 187 permits, the commission has reduced that number to 172, according to its website. A commission spokeswoman didn’t give an explanation for the decrease.

According to the orlandosentinal.com, about 160,000 entries have been submitted, and most have been claimed. About two dozen are yet to be awarded. At least 39 of about 150 awarded permits went to people who specifically entered the lottery to prevent hunters from obtaining a permit. From orlandosentinal.com:

At least 39 permit-winners are unlikely to hunt because they entered the lottery to reduce the chances that bonafide hunters would win a tag entitling them to “take” or “harvest” a bear, terms Fish & Wildlife uses for killing a bear, according to Steve Rosen, who said he paid for hundreds of lottery entries.

“There are probably others that filed on their own and won permits but I am not aware of them,” he said in an email.

The total plausible bear harvest in the 2025 season will be less than 133, because there are always reasons, such as a family emergency or death which prevent some hunters from using their permit.

In 2014-15, the bear population was estimated to be about 4,000 bears in Florida. There has not been an official bear population estimate since then. According to a growth estimate commissioned by the Florida  Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the bear population is likely over 10,000 in 2025. Estimates of the bear population do not include cubs.

A harvest of 133 bears is not going to make a significant difference in the growth of the Florida bear population. About 300 bears are killed in vehicle accidents in Florida each year. The population is growing at least about 7-11% each year. For 10,000 adult  bears, about 5,000 cubs are born each year. As bears become concentrated in some areas, about half the cubs are killed by mature male bears before the cubs become independent.

133 bears harvested by hunters is a very small amount from a population of 10,000 bears. About 300 die each year in vehicle accidents. Over a thousand cubs are killed by adult male bears. Michigan harvests about 15% of their black bear population each year, and the bear population continues to grow. To maintain a constant bear population in Florida, the harvest should be about ten times larger than the estimated 133.

An official estimate of the Florida black bear population was scheduled to be conducted in 2025. Perhaps the FWC will release the official numbers in 2026.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

 

 

 

 

MD: Canton - Jewelry Store Owner Shoots, Kills Invading Suspect

Some eight hours after the incident played out here, police told us that it was actually the property owner who confronted the burglar and opened fire on him.

Police say the unidentified victim was 39-years-old in possession of burglary tools, and the owner has not been charged in what appears to have been a justified shooting, but that will be left to the state’s attorney’s office to decide.

Where the shooting unfolded may play a role in that decision.

“I could see the man was laying on top of those stairs,” the witness told us, “His head was on the street and his body was up on the steps of the jewelry store, and then all the police came.”

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IL: Chicago - Home Invasion Leads to Gunfight

Two male offenders with a firearm entered a home and battered a 26-year-old man, police said. The suspect then exchanged gunfire with a 48-year-old woman at the home.

The suspects fled the scene in a dark-colored vehicle westbound on 65th Place, CPD said.

The man who was battered suffered a bruise to his head. No other injuries were reported.

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FL: Palm Beach - Gunfight between County Employees, Aggressor and Defender both Killed

Neighbors say they saw Parnell waiting in an empty lot on Starling Avenue for possibly an hour before Myers returned home from work Tuesday. When Myers arrived at his driveway, Parnell pulled up alongside Myers' car and opened fire.

"It was like, pow, pow, pow, pow," said Bassle Farha, who lives nearby.

Neighbors say Myers shot back, hitting Parnell. The shooting shocked residents in the quiet neighborhood. 

 

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CA: North Hollywood - Road Rage, Man Follows, Threatens Woman, is Shot, Wounded

The person inside the home was housesitting for a family member, said police. According to police, the victim confronted the suspect, which led to a physical confrontation.

During the altercation, the suspect reportedly threw an e-bike at the victim. The victim then shot the suspect in the legs with a .40 caliber firearm, police said.

About 20 minutes later, after the first burglary call, officers responded to another call to a nearby location about a person who had been shot. Here, investigators confirmed the individual was the suspect from the break-in.

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AZ: Phoenix - Assault Leads to Self-Defense Shooting

Officers responded to reports of a fight near 16th Street and Baseline Road just after 1 p.m., according to Phoenix police.

At the scene, officers spoke with a man who said he had shot a man who had assaulted him. Officers found the victim with a gunshot wound behind a business, police said.

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FL: Cocoa - Man who had Rifle Shot by Man with Pistol

Police arrived at the hospital after officials reported that a man had died from gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, police determined the shooting may have been justifiable under Florida's Stand Your Ground laws.

They said it appears to have been an act of self-defense.

A witness told police that Smith was armed with a rifle while approaching a 22-year-old man during an ongoing dispute. That's when the 22-year-old shot Smith, police said.

Police said the shooter has been cooperating with investigators.

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NC: Grover - Gunfight with Burglar, no one Injured

Cleveland County investigators say an alleged burglar shot at a homeowner who caught them in the act Monday night.

It happened along Mallard Drive in Grover, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.

Upon hearing the gunshots, a neighbor attempted to confront the thief and fired his own shots when he believed the man might shoot at him.

Investigators say there isn’t evidence that anyone was shot.

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TX: Baytown - Domestic Defense? Knife and Gunfight over Puppies.

  

A 43-year old male homeowner invited his ex 19-year-old girlfriend and her current 29-year old boyfriend to the residence, according to Harris County Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliand.

The two men began to argue ownership over puppies in the residence. A physical altercation occurred between the two men, the 29-year-old man stabbed the homeowner “several times,” and the homeowner shot the man “several times,” Gilliand said.

Harris County Sergeant Robert Wade said deputies found the homeowner had two stab wounds and the 29-year-old man had two gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene.

 

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U.S. Virgin Islands Consider Draconian Gun Bill

The United States Virgin Islands legislature is considering a bill which imposes  extreme infringements on rights protected by the Second Amendment. The Bill is number 36-0144, which amends chapter 13 of the Virgin Islands Code Title 14. From legvi.org:

Lawmakers considered Bill No. 36-0144, an act amending Title 14 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 113 to define and prohibit assault rifles, ban suppressors and silencers, and requiring safety training for licensed rifles and shotgun holders, prohibiting large-capacity magazines and preventing the illegal sales of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition.

The Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands is Gordon C. Rhea, Esq. Rea  was sworn into office about ten days before President Trump was elected in 2024.  Rhea has been a member of the Virgin Islands bar for more than 40 years. From legvi.org:

Gordon C. Rhea, Esq., Attorney General of the United States Virgin Islands also spoke in favor of the proposed measure. Rhea stated firearms have had a significant role in criminal activities in the territory and emphasised the fact that the firearms are not made in the Virgin Islands, stating that most firearms are either legally or illegally imported into the territory.

The U.S. Virgin Islands already has what this correspondent considers the most restrictive firearms laws in the United States. The U.S. Virgin Islands also have one of the highest homicide rates in the world. It is impossible to legally own a firearm in the territory without permission from the governing authorities. These laws are already considered unconstitutional. They only continue to exist because no legal challenges have been brought in federal courts. Challenging a law's constitutionality is very expensive and time consuming.

On January, 2025, the Governor of the Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr., stated the U.S. Virgin Islands firearm laws have failed. He said he thought the Islands should reform their firearms laws, eliminate many restrictions, and make it easier for people to own and carry firearms. From AmmoLand:

“I think we should move to a place where we open gun ranges that are legal and we make it easier for people to license and carry firearms,” Governor Bryan stated. He argued that the percentage of Virgin Islanders who carry unregistered weapons for reasons of ill-intent is very small, while the majority of residents carry firearms because “they’re trying to protect themselves, or feel protected.”

Bill 36-0144 has not become law in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time of this writing.   Governor Bryan was elected as the ninth elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2019.  Governor Bryan nominated AG Rhea and the Virgin Islands Legislature confirmed him. It the legislature passes Bill 36-0144, Governor Bryan might veto it.

Draconian anti-Second Amendment laws do not reduce homicide rates. The Virgin Island firearms laws wait for a challenge in federal courts. The Islands total population is about 84,000 and falling. It is one of the smallest polities in the United States. It does not garner much attention. The U.S. Virgin Islands are in the jurisdiction of the Third Circuit Court of appeals, which has a mixed record on upholding Supreme Court decisions about the Second Amendment. Important Second Amendment cases in the Third Circuit involve issues likely to be settled by the Supreme Court this term.

Analysis: One of this correspondent's colleagues spent several years in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He said the Virgin Islands was the most corrupt polity in the United States. Corrupt politicians do not want an armed population. The U.S. Virgin Islands will have to be dragged through the courts to respect the rights of the people protected by the Second Amendment.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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AL: Dothan - Gunfight at Barbershop, Suspect Wounded, Arrested

During the investigation, it was discovered that a male individual was inside the Not Just Cuts barber shop inside Wiregrass Commons Mall.  As the individual was getting a haircut, three individuals entered the business.  One of the three individuals, Korion Michael Salter (20) of Dothan, began making threats and displayed a firearm.  The individual in the barber shop responded by pulling his firearm and a shootout ensued from both individuals.  During the gunfire, Salter was struck by multiple bullets fired from the individual in the barbershop.  A second suspect, Sharier AlQuan Caesar (25) of Greenville, North Carolina, also fired rounds at the individual in the barbershop.

After the shooting, the individual that was originally in the barbershop hid in a back room and waited for police to arrive.  This person has been cooperating with the investigation.  As a result of this incident, Sharief Caesar has been charged with Attempted Murder and Shooting into an Occupied Building.  Caesar is currently being sought by the Dothan Police Department.  Additional charges are possible on Caesar.  In the event Salter recovers, it is possible he could be charged as well.

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FL: Deltona - Domestic Defense, Wife Shoots Husband

An investigation into the incident was launched, and detectives concluded that a physical altercation had taken place between Jackson and his wife. They did eventually locate Jackson - when he arrived at a hospital in Daytona Beach with a gunshot wound to his arm. The wound was said to be non-life-threatening.

Detectives later tracked down the wife elsewhere in Deltona. She was interviewed about the altercation, saying that her husband had attacked her. He reportedly walked out of their residence, and she locked the door. After doing so, Jackson is said to have tried to force his way back inside. The wife, saying she feared for her safety, fired a shot at Jackson.

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TX: San Antonio - Gunfight Between Security Officer and Suspect, Suspect Wounded

The disturbance began when a man, after being asked by the security officer to vacate the area, left while making verbal threats but returned later with a 46-year-old man after which the altercations escalated into a shooting, per a preliminary SAPD report. The older man reportedly "pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at the security guard," and in response, the security officer shot the gunman several times, both suspects fleeing the scene afterward the shooting took place around 2:26 a.m. in the parking lot of the Whataburger located at 4700 Interstate 35 South, according to information obtained by KSAT.

SAPD later apprehended the 46-year-old suspect nearby, and he was subsequently taken to a hospital where he is in stable condition. As for his charges, he faces a count of assault on a security officer with a deadly weapon. Meanwhile, the second man involved in the confrontation is yet to be located, and investigators are continuing their search. The security officer, a 32-year-old man, was uninjured through the exchange.

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Drone Incursions Over Denmark Spark Danish Preppers

Image from Ministry of Defense of Ukraine 

Unidentified drones, with lights on, were observed over several Danish airports on the night of September 24th, 2025. Flights were disrupted at Aalborg, Billund, and the Copenhagen airports for various periods of time. From the BBC 25 September, 2025:

 Denmark says drones flown over its airports appear to be the work of a "professional actor" but there was no evidence of Russian involvement, after such activity disrupted its airspace for the second time in a week.

Aalborg airport was forced to shut down for several hours on Wednesday evening after green lights were spotted overhead, while Billund airport also briefly closed. Three smaller airports also reported drone activity.

On Monday, Copenhagen airport temporarily closed due to a drone incursion.

The drones have not been shot down or identified. Because of the proximity to the Russian/Ukraine war, various people have speculated the drones are related to the war. Danish authorities have been careful to say they do not know who the drones belong to. The Minister of Defense, Toels Lund Poulsen, believes the drones are being operated by "a professional actor", indicating the operation was likely sponsored by a government.  Some have speculated the drone operation is a demonstration of capability. The Danish authorities were not able to take down the drones.

No detailed images of the drones were published. The size and type of the drones were not published.  Russia has denied any involvement.

There have been similar incidents in the United States, particularly during November - December 2024, commonly known as "New Jersey drone sightings". Many of the sightings were eventually admitted to be authorized drone flights, while some were manned aircraft and even celestial bodies.

Because of the nearby war in Ukraine, people in Denmark are concerned. Some of them are becoming prepared by following the advise of their government to have three days supply of food and water.  From NPR.com, October 3, 2025:

"Everybody is talking about it," Trine says about the drones, adding that her family is "very, very worried."

NPR agreed not to use the last names of some of those interviewed in this story, because of the panic around this security issue.

Trine says being nervous made her take stock of her family's emergency plans. "We prepped, we prepared," she explained, checking their canned food supply, stocking up on water and reviewing their plan with other family members in case they have to evacuate their home in Copenhagen.

(snip)

Sweden also went through a period like this shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022, Hallgren explains. But then the country reassessed the risk of being so close to the front line, and invested a lot in things like renovating and expanding its network of bomb shelters.

Hallgren advises that the Danish government do the same.

The war in Ukraine has reminded many in Europe they are not immune to invasion and war. The success of NATO in preventing most military actions in Europe, for 80 years, is one of the longest relative periods of peace in Western European history. Finland, which survived a war with the Soviet Union at the beginning of WWII, has now become a member of NATO and is  rebuilding shooting ranges. From AmmoLand:

The Finnish government’s hostile attitude toward maintaining the country’s shooting ranges died with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Finland, Sweden, and Norway have higher levels of firearms ownership than most of Europe. Denmark is said to have about ten guns per 100 people, about 30 percent of the ownership rate of Finland and Norway, and about 40 percent of the Swedish ownership. Ten guns per 100 people is about twice the rate in England, and half of that in Germany. 

Most of the firearms owned are shotguns and combination guns, which might be able to shoot down small drones in some circumstances. Privately owned guns are required to be kept unloaded and locked up most of the time.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TX: Houston - Road Rage leads to Self Defense Shooting

"The driver got upset that the vehicle in front of him wasn't moving fast enough and he got out of his vehicle and started beating on his car," Lt. Khan with the HPD said. The driver of the vehicle in front warned him that he had a gun and ended up shooting and striking him once, Lt. Khan added.

HPD says responding officers rendered aid to the victim before he was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is said to be stable.

Houston police confirm the shooter stayed at the scene and cooperated with responding officers. The shooter told the officers he was acting in self-defense and has not been charged, HPD says.

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SC: Rock Hill - Self Defense Shooting in Galleria Mall

Rock Hill Police say the shooting occurred just before 2 p.m. at the Galleria Mall, off Dave Lyle Boulevard. Officers say the shooter acted in self-defense, after he was “accosted by the other party both verbally and physically.”

The person who was shot, 26-year-old Martell Minter of Chester, was transported to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in the shoulder. He has been charged with third-degree assault and battery; a court date will be determined after his release from medical care.

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FL: Jacksonville - Two Car Burglary Suspects Wounded in Gunfight

JSO says an initial investigation revealed that the individuals who were shot were involved in a car burglary. They began to shoot two victims who interrupted the burglary.

The two victims who interrupted the burglary returned fire and struck the two suspects.

They were soon transported to a local hospital and are in non-life-threatening condition.

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AZ: Tempe - Attempted Robbery ends in Gunfight, Three Wounded

Two individuals were riding on a scooter when a group of people approached them and attempted to rob them at gunpoint, according to Tempe police.

The individuals on the scooter shot at the group and someone from the group returned fire.

The group then ran from the area but was later located by police near Scottsdale and Curry roads.

One of the individuals on the scooter and two individuals from the group were hurt in the shooting.

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AZ: Phoenix - Domestic Defense, Man Breaks into Home, is Shot, Killed

When authorities arrived, the woman, with her children, met officers outside and said that she shot her ex-boyfriend, who was still inside.

They located 28-year-old Christopher Duran inside who was unresponsive and was taken to a local hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

According to preliminary information from police, the Duran and woman had recently broken up and he had forced his way into her home.

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AR: Pine Bluff - Apartment Owner and Three Others, Shot at, Return Fire

The apartment owner and three males told police they were inside the apartment when someone began shooting from outside and then kicked in the front door. One of the males reportedly told an officer he returned fire from inside the apartment with an AR-15.

Upon receiving permission from the apartment owner to search for the weapon, several bullet holes were found in the ceiling and a wall facing the stairwell. Officers also found one of the males had been shot in the leg.

Another officer made contact with the resident in the apartment next door and found a bullet hole in the wall by his living room. His TV set also had a bullet hole in it.

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