The bear and her killer
Florida's black bear population is one of the state's greatest wildlife success stories. From a low of just a few hundred in the 1970s, thoughtful conservation efforts have grown the population to over 4,000 bears. This year, after a decade-long hiatus, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hung their balls on the line by reinstating a highly regulated bear hunt—the first since the controversial 2015 season—to help manage growth in key areas while ensuring the species remains healthy and abundant.
Given the data, legal hunters across the state welcomed this science-based approach which saw only 172 permits issued through a lottery out of over 163,000 applications. Strict zones consisting of four Bear Management Units, along with mandatory reporting, and explicit prohibitions against harvesting cubs or females with cubs, the 2025 hunt was designed to be selective, conservative, and above all else, ethical.
Yet, just as the season got underway amid lingering controversy from animal-rights activists and lawsuits, news broke of a deeply frustrating incident in Grand Island. James Goodspeed, a 60-year-old local resident, was arrested by FWC officers for illegally shooting and killing a female black bear that was accompanied by her cub—actions that led to the mother being euthanized while the cub fortunately managed to survive.
The sow and cub as recorded by neighbors | Fox 35 Orlando
According to reports, Goodspeed originally claimed self-defense, saying he fired warning shots into the trees above before the bear allegedly charged at him. Unfortunately for Goodspeed, evidence at the scene told a different story. According to reports, the bear was shot in the side of the head with buckshot, which investigators ruled to be inconsistent with a frontal attack. It was later revealed that his account of positioning didn't match the scene; and neighbors reported he had previously expressed intent to "take care of" local bears. Adding insult to injury, he openly fired onto and across private property without permission at the bear, further violating an number of other laws.
As ethical hunters who follow the rules, pay for licenses, and contribute millions to conservation through excise taxes and permits, we ought to be outraged. Actions like this only serve to equip those who oppose our way of life with additional ammunition, painting us with the same brush as reckless individuals who disregard laws and ethics. This year’s Florida bear hunt was already under intense scrutiny amid protests, lawsuits, and emotional appeals that have dominated headlines since it was announced early this year. The last thing Florida's legal hunters and the FWC needed was someone foolishly and illegally taking a sow with a cub, reinforcing false narratives that hunting is cruel or unnecessary.
Incidents like this go well beyond the travesty of orphanage bear cubs and wasting our natural resources, they erode public trust in regulated hunting as a vital management tool.
Goodspeed is now rightfully facing felony charges including illegal taking of a bear and trespass by projectile, and we should remain hopeful that he is taught what the full weight of the law feels like when it comes bearing down on him early next year.
As of this writing, Goodspeed has bonded out of jail and is now scheduled for court on January 5, 2026.
