Florida bill could expand 'Stand your ground' against bears, to defend property

TAMPA, Fla. - A new and controversial bill being discussed in the Florida legislature this month would expand an existing law, similar to the ‘Stand your ground’ law but for Florida bears. 

The current law allows you to use lethal force if you feel your life is in danger because of an animal, but the new amendment expands that to include defending property. 

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If a bear is in your yard, under this law, you could shoot it if it could cause damage. Many feel that it is going too far and could risk putting humans in the line of fire. 

Human-bear encounters are on the rise in Florida, and according to Florida Fish and Wildlife, they responded to thousands of bear calls in 2022. The bulk of these encounters are in North and Central Florida. 

But critics argue this bill is an overreaction to those statistics, citing that ‘property’ could be things as simple as a trashcan or birdfeeders, which are bear attractors. They say better trash management would keep the wildlife out of neighborhoods. 

At a Wednesday state senate agriculture committee meeting, discussion over the amendment got heated. Here are some of the verbal statements from the meeting:

• "The protection of private property is the protection of private property. There’s no threshold that must be achieved. You can shoot a bear to protect your picnic basket or patio furniture
• "It does seem irresponsible and dangerous to have people shooting in their neighborhoods" 
• "Why shouldn’t we do something that’s a lot easier, less egregious, less risk of bullets flying in different places" 
• "I’m more worried about people with the guns thinking they can shoot bears than I have been ever been worried about bears."

"We know that people are trigger-happy; that’s why we are afraid," one state senator said. "This will give people an excuse and there will be an accident."

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State Senator Cory Simon is a sponsor of the bill. He says he will work on the amendment language to make it clear that shooting a bear is a last resort and that this is not a hunting or shooting bill.

He says people still do have a responsibility to take the necessary precautions, especially in more rural counties.

"I don’t hate bears. But I love people, and we have a duty to protect people," said Sen. Simon.

Although this bill has passed some state committees, there are still several steps to take before it becomes law. It must be passed through the House and Senate, before getting to the governor’s desk. 

All that is expected to happen before the end of the legislative session in March.