Has Florida's Black Bear population doubled over the past decade to 3000 or more?...................200 Bait stations will be placed around the state with barbed wire to snag some fur from the roaming bears............DNA analysis over the next year will then be conducted to provide the basis for an updated population estimate...............3000 or more bears and just 100 or so Pumas in florida.................Shows you to some degree that the bruins seem to be able to traverse highways better than the "cats", as cars seem to be such a deterrent for Pumas seeking to wander into the northern part of the state

Florida wildlife officials prep for statewide bear 
count survey | Local News - WESH Home

Florida wildlife officials prep 

for statewide bear count survey

Study results will be ready in about a year

UPDATED 10:52 PM EDT Jun 03, 2014

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Wildlife officials rely on 
donuts for statewide bear 
survey

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SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —In an effort to
better manage Florida's black bear population,
 wildlife biologists are preparing to conduct a
 statewide bear survey.

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In areas a good distance from any neighborhoods, the
 state plans to set up 200 counting stations. The stations
 will be surrounded by barbed wire and inside there will
 be some sort of bait -- donuts have always been a bear
 favorite.

"We're hoping to prove our hypothesis that the bear
 population has greatly increased since 2002," said
 Greg Workman, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman.

Officials estimate 3,000 statewide, but that number
 is 12 years old and reports of bears have increased.

"The frequency of phone calls, the frequency of sightings
, there's just a lot more out there," Workman said.

To prove that point, officials are building barbed wire
corrals or counting stations. The bear will squeeze between
 two strands of barbed wire to get a treat. The hair left on
 the fence will be DNA tested so they know if a lot of hair
means a lot of bears, or if one bear keeps coming back.

State officials insist the bears will not be hurt.

"It happens every day to them, it pulls a little bit off of them,
 and that's it," Workman said.

The two violent bear encounters in the last few months in
Seminole County have shined a light on human and bear
 interactions. As state experts work to better manage the
population, they said knowing the number of bears will help.

They can also figure out bear density in certain regions,
so they don't relocate bears to a highly populated place,
shoving bears back into neighborhoods.

"We want to know that the area we're relocating these
 bear to, that we're not over-saturating the area. We want
 to know there's capacity left," Workman said.

The study results will be ready in about a year.

Read more:http://www.wesh.com/news/florida-wildlife-
officials-prep-for-statewide-bear-count-survey/26312986#ixzz33dvv5Zwq