The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sending out these two words: Help Wanted.The commission’s David Telesco said only those with flexible schedules should apply since they want people available at night, weekends and holidays. To deal with issues involving bears, whether they’re getting into trash or creating other issues in a neighborhood, the state often needs to respond. That includes bears hit and killed by cars.”Last year we had 287 bears hit by cars. The vast majority of those are picked up by bear response contractors,” Telesco said. As bear populations grow, there’s a growing need for bear response contractors. They need them in several counties. Locally, that means Lake, Marion, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.”The issue is there’s so much work that in some of these counties it’s not just one person, we actually need multiple people,” Telesco said. The commission said if you have a bear issue in your neighborhood and you call them, likely a bear response contractor will be the person to show up. They’ll be there to possibly to give you some advice and maybe even give you a hand.”They may set up an electric fence, may show them how to hang a birdfeeder so a bear can’t get into it,” Telesco said. “So those are site visits and that’s the majority of what a bear response contractor would do.” Contractors get paid by the event, not the hour. To meet with a homeowner, canvas a neighborhood with bear information, picking up a bear hit and killed is $150. Setting up and monitoring a trap will run you $500 because it’s a more lengthy commitment.”Drive the trap to where it needs to be, they set it, monitor it and in four nights, if we haven’t caught it, we pick it back up,” Telesco said. It’s all to hopefully respond and reduce bear-related issues. Applicants need to be properly insured and own a vehicle that can pull a trailer. Bear traps have to be towed to where they’re to be set.People interested in becoming a contractor should send their resume, contact information, counties of interest and three professional references to BearManagement@MyFWC.com or FWC, Bear Management Program, 620 S. Meridian St. 6A, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sending out these two words: Help Wanted.
The commission’s David Telesco said only those with flexible schedules should apply since they want people available at night, weekends and holidays.
To deal with issues involving bears, whether they’re getting into trash or creating other issues in a neighborhood, the state often needs to respond.
That includes bears hit and killed by cars.
“Last year we had 287 bears hit by cars. The vast majority of those are picked up by bear response contractors,” Telesco said.
As bear populations grow, there’s a growing need for bear response contractors.
They need them in several counties. Locally, that means Lake, Marion, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.
“The issue is there’s so much work that in some of these counties it’s not just one person, we actually need multiple people,” Telesco said.
The commission said if you have a bear issue in your neighborhood and you call them, likely a bear response contractor will be the person to show up. They’ll be there to possibly to give you some advice and maybe even give you a hand.
“They may set up an electric fence, may show them how to hang a birdfeeder so a bear can’t get into it,” Telesco said. “So those are site visits and that’s the majority of what a bear response contractor would do.”
Contractors get paid by the event, not the hour. To meet with a homeowner, canvas a neighborhood with bear information, picking up a bear hit and killed is $150.
Setting up and monitoring a trap will run you $500 because it’s a more lengthy commitment.
“Drive the trap to where it needs to be, they set it, monitor it and in four nights, if we haven’t caught it, we pick it back up,” Telesco said.
It’s all to hopefully respond and reduce bear-related issues.
Applicants need to be properly insured and own a vehicle that can pull a trailer.
Bear traps have to be towed to where they’re to be set.
People interested in becoming a contractor should send their resume, contact information, counties of interest and three professional references to BearManagement@MyFWC.com or FWC, Bear Management Program, 620 S. Meridian St. 6A, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
