Florida

Live updates: FWC meets to discuss Florida bear hunt rules

Published

7 months ago

May 21, 2025

Live updates: FWC meets to discuss Florida bear hunt rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is taking another step towards reinstating an annual black bear hunt.

The commission is meeting Wednesday, May 21, in Ocala to consider rules for a 23-day bear hunt in December and an annual hunt from October through December starting in 2026.

The goal is to remove 187 bears from an estimated population of 4,000.

Supporters hail the hunt as an opportunity for hunters to help with population control, while opponents say it’s unnecessary and inhumane.

The last black bear hunt happened in 2015, but was mired in controversy and shut down on the second day after 295 bears of the 320 limit had been killed.

The meeting comes weeks after an 89-year-old man and his dog were killed in a black bear attack in Jerome. It was the first fatal bear mauling on record in Florida.

FWC commissioners have moved the bear hunt up on the agenda, and discussion is taking place in the morning hours.

The FWC staff is currently doing a presentation on the hunt, the quota and the overall bear population.

Other cities in the southeastern United States — Alabama, Mississippi and Texas have viable bear populations where hunting is not allowed, FWC staff showed.

Other states with viable populations do allow hunting.

Fewer than 1% of Floridians have a hunting license to legally hunt any animal, and several public polls have shown that the hunt is wildly unpopular.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission chambers are full today, with dozens of people prepared to speak on the proposed bear hunt.

One side of the crowd is dressed in typical business and casual clothing while the other side is dressed in camouflage patterns.

Commissioners will take the first vote this afternoon on the bear hunt, which, if approved, would take place in December.

Public comment today is limited to two hours, although commissioners could restructure the agenda.

According to a draft proposal, the state would allow hunters to feed bears, kill them near the hand-outs, use packs of dogs and skip check stations.

Florida bear hunt permit cost

The proposal that will be considered in Ocala divides the state into seven “Bear Management Units” and declares any area with more than 200 bears a “Bear Harvest Zone” – there is no cap on how many bears can be taken from one BMU.

Hunting permits would be issued through a random drawing and cost $100 for a Florida resident and $300 for anyone else; 187 permits would be issued this year.

Bear encounters on the rise in Florida

Per FWC, nuisance bear calls climbed from 2,000 in 2016 to more than 6,000 in 2024.

“As the bear population grows and development occurs, we are probably going to see more bears move into developed areas. So that’s one reason we want to try to manage bear population growth,” FWC’s director of hunting and game management Morgan Richardson said.

Florida’s saw first fatal bear attack on record in May 2025

An elderly man and his dog were killed in a black bear attack in the unincorporated Collier County community of Jerome, Florida, on May 5.

Witnesses called police when they saw a bear maul the man’s dog.

Robert Markel, 89, was found dead on the property, about 100 yards from the dog.

A necropsy of three bears killed by FWC near the scene found Markel’s partial remains in the body of a 263-pound male. Additionally, the bear’s DNA was found on Markel’s body, in his home and on the dog’s body.

Contributing: Amy Bennett Williams, Naples Daily News; James Call, Tallahassee Democrat

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Florida

Preview: December 23 vs. Florida | Carolina Hurricanes

Published

8 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Preview: December 23 vs. Florida | Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers square off for the second time in five days on Tuesday, going head-to-head at Lenovo Center.

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When: Tuesday, Dec. 23

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 22-10-3 (47 Points, 1st – Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 6-4 Loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Dec. 20

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Panthers Record: 19-14-2 (40 Points, T-5th – Atlantic Division)

Panthers Last Game: 6-2 Loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, Dec. 20

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Florida

Florida football finalizes hire of Joe Craddock as quarterbacks coach

Published

20 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Florida football finalizes hire of Joe Craddock as quarterbacks coach

Florida football will be hiring Joe Craddock as its next quarterbacks coach, according to a report by Swamp247.

The move adds a veteran offensive mind with extensive play-calling and quarterback-development experience under Jon Sumrall’s first staff with the Gators.

Craddock comes to Gainesville after spending the past two seasons with Tulane, where he served as the Green Wave’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Prior to that, he held the same role at Troy.

At Troy, Craddock’s offenses consistently ranked near the top of the Sun Belt across multiple statistical categories, combining downfield passing efficiency with a balanced run game.

Before his time at Troy and Tulane, Craddock built a resume that includes offensive coordinator stops at UAB, Arkansas and SMU, along with earlier developmental roles at Clemson.

Craddock’s coaching career began after a playing stint at Middle Tennessee, followed by professional experience overseas before transitioning into coaching at the high school level and quickly rising through the college ranks.

With the Orange and Blue, Craddock is expected to work closely with the Gators’ signal-callers as the program looks to establish consistency and development at the position under Sumrall.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

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‘Pursuing all leads:’ Search for missing Fort Myers boaters continues into Monday morning

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

‘Pursuing all leads:’ Search for missing Fort Myers boaters continues into Monday morning

The search for the 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney and his 33-year-old nephew continued late Sunday after the pair was reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported it would continue the search overnight.

A new grid search by volunteer searchers was expected to start Monday morning, Dec. 22, 70 miles east of Naples, family members reported on Facebook.

“USCG crews and partner agencies are continuing the search through the night by air and by sea,” the Coast Guard posted on X at 8:34 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21.

The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the search along with partner agencies to find attorney Randall Spivey and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, who were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday. The boat they’d been using for their trip had been scheduled to return at about sunset.

The pair went out in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” according to Luis Garcia, the supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg. The Coast Guard found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, with no signs of the missing boaters.

Now, one of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history is underway, with a large community effort behind it.

Were the missing Florida boaters from Fort Myers found? Boater’s wife provides updates

As of late Sunday, Dec. 21, Spivey and Billmaier, the Florida boaters reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples, had not been found, according to Billmaier’s wife, Deborah.

Deborah and other family members of the missing men continued to ask for prayers and for volunteers to help search.

“We are asking for vessels capable of a 225-mile range to assist in a major offshore search,” Deborah Billmaier said in a Facebook post.

“Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,” her post said. “They have not yet been found, but we are staying positive.”

To volunteer in the offshore seach for the missing boaters:

Deborah Billmore’s Facebook post asked volunteer searchers to text to Paul at 239-634-3400:

Departure location
Vessel name
Captains name and cell number
First mate’s name and cell number
Vessel range

She said vessels will depart from their own location (ranging from Fort Myers to Marco Island) and search grids would be assigned after updated information is received at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22.

‘Still not sure exactly what occurred’

Deborah Billmaier had posted earlier Sunday:

“Updates after speaking with the U.S. Coast Guard this morning,” Deborah Billmaier wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “The EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was unfortunately still on the boat. They were bottom fishing when the incident occurred (still not sure exactly what occurred.)”

The post also mentioned that a couple of life jackets were not found on the boat, indicating that Spivey and Billmaier may be wearing them.

Who is involved in the Florida missing boaters search?

The U.S. Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg posted news of the search on social media Saturday morning, Dec. 20.

According to the Facebook post, air and surface crews from the agency and partner agencies U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Lee County Sheriff’s Office are involved in the search.

“The search effort support features an 87-foot boat on water, 45-foot boat, 60-foot helicopter, 144 plane, 6130 Air Force from Patrick Air Force Base and an 144 continuing through the day (not sure if this is a boat or a plane),” Deborah Billmaier wrote in her post the following morning.

An urgent marine broadcast has also been issued to all vessels in the area to help expand the search range, said Billmaier.

Community steps in to help in missing boater search in Florida

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated one of the largest search parties in Southwest Florida history Sunday morning, Dec. 21, starting at first light, according to Deborah Billmaier.

Florida Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman shared the post on X.

Erin Shaw Harrel of Facebook group SWFL Boaters urged people Saturday to take to the water to search for the missing boaters, providing these coordinates for the search: 25-51.67N 083-12.16W.

Brent Stokes, owner of Stokes Marine, also asked for volunteers to help search.

According to Stokes, anyone willing to help with the search could call Tricia Spivey at 239-896-4099 or the U.S. Coast Guard at 727-322-4180.

Capt. Corrie Sergent of the Coast Guard’s Sector St. Petersburg posted on X Sunday morning, Dec. 21, noting crews were “pursuing all leads and saturating the (search) area.”

“Thank you to this amazing community for their support,’ Sergent said in the tweet.

Who are Randall Spivey, Brandon Billmaier ? Florida attorney and nephew missing off Fort Myers

Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

Tricia Spivey reported her husband and nephew missing Friday night, said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg. “They were going to fish about 102 miles offshore.”

Spivey is a white male, 6’1”, 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark in color shirt, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2”, 250lbs, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.

Where was the boat of the missing fisherman found?

The pair went out in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” Garcia said. The Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, but no signs of the missing boaters.

Tricia Spivey says GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker led them to that location near Marco Island and Flamingo. That’s where the search has been concentrated.

Where to call with information, help with search for missing Florida boaters

The Coast Coast asked anyone with pertinent information to contact the agency’s St. Petersburg sector at 866-881-1392.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also requested the public’s help in locating Spivey and Billmaier.

If anyone knows about the pair’s whereabouts, they can call 911, if applicable, or call the sheriff’s office at 477-1000. To remain anonymous, you can also call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

Contributing: Cindy McCurry-Ross

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