Killing of Collier Man Heightens Bear Hunt Debate – Coastal Breeze News

This bear was sitting in the middle of the road in Coastal Collier County. The driver of the car honked at it and it sauntered away.

This bear was sitting in the middle of the road in Coastal Collier County. The driver of the car honked at it and it sauntered away.
The death toll could rise depending on the ongoing response to a Florida black bear killing a man and a dog in the rural Collier County town of Jerome on May 5. Pets, livestock, humans, and bears are some of the lives at stake. 
Florida wildlife officials and residents are in the midst of considering the first black bear hunt in the state in 10 years with a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on the topic May 21. Before the family could process what happened, controversy affected the life and death story of Robert Markel, 89, of Jerome. Markel and a family dog were killed in a violent interaction involving a black bear on Monday, May 5. A bear tore into Markel’s camper located on property shared with multiple generations of family. 
“I’m putting my clothes on and taking my gun and I’m going to go look for this bear,” said Markel’s grandson in the 911 call. 
Markel’s neighbors have described Markel as a longtime resident who knew how to coexist with nature. A particular bear was becoming unusually aggressive in the area, and some people said they believe officials may have caught and killed the right bear as a response. Other people say FWC may have killed more than necessary when taking three bears in response to Markel’s death.  
Creating a Timeline  
When the Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrived to the home on State Road 29 at about 7:00 AM Monday, Markel was reported missing and a bear had killed the family dog, who was seen dead at the front of the home, officers said. Family members were in shock, and their recovery from the trauma drove officials to keep them safe and help them to experience closure by taking nearby bear suspects, FWC officials said.  
Collier County Sheriff’s Officer Christopher Lukasz met with Markel’s family member, Sue Story, in response to Markel being missing from his camper when she went to check on him that morning.  
“I confirmed the trailer was in disarray, the mattress was off the bed, and there were items scattered throughout the trailer,” Lukasz said in the report.  
Markel may not have stood a chance of survival in an altercation.  
“He’s 89. He can’t run. He can’t even walk without falling over,” another family member had said. 
The family is relatively well known throughout eastern Collier County by residents in nearby Ochopee, Carnestown, Copeland, and Everglades City. The land mass is huge, but the community is quite close-knit. Close neighbors include longtime Collier County families of the Wootens and Doxsees, among others.  
“The bear grabbed the dog, then took him into the woods, and then let the dog go because we scared it,” the family member continued in his call with the 911 dispatcher.  
Meanwhile, a Sheriff’s officer and Story reported that approximately 20 yards from the trailer, in the woods, Markel’s wallet, pants, and a blood-soaked shirt were found.  
Then, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers, Story, and CCSO located Markel 100 yards from the trailer. Markel was lightly covered with dirt and leaves, said Lukasz. This is characteristic of bears after killing an animal for food. 
Responding to Markel’s Death 
In response to Markel’s death, according to their protocols, FWC officials then killed three bears nearby Monday evening to ensure the safety of the small Jerome population of people, they said. Jerome includes a cluster of 12 or fewer homes, several of which are trailers and campers, along State Road 29. Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park were established around the small town that was founded by C.J. “Jerome” Jones in 1940 with a lumber mill. Jerome is known for creosote wood preservative contaminating its groundwaters. And now, it’s known for its proximity to the South Bear Management Unit, which has the third largest population of bears in the state, FWC reported.  
“They come in and out right behind his camper every single day,” the family member, who officers identified as Markel’s grandson, said in the 911 call. 
“There’s frigging 40 bears out here they come in and out every day to take the garbage and now they just decided to kill the dog and take [Markel,]” he continued. 
Investigations continue, and some records are not immediately available, FWC officials said on Monday, May 12.  
FWC killed three adult male bears weighing 207, 263, and 434 pounds, and the remains were tested by Florida State University in Gainesville, officers said.  
“DNA results received on Friday, May 9, positively identified that the 263-pound male’s DNA was present on Markel, inside his residence, and on the dog’s body. The only bear DNA found at the scene matched the three bears lethally taken,” FWC said in the prepared statement. 
“Necropsy results revealed that the 263-pound bear contained the partial remains of Markel,” according to the statement.  
All three bears were tested for rabies, and all results were negative, they said. 
The Collier County Medical Examiner is still completing their investigation, but the preliminary cause of death is consistent with injuries caused by a black bear, according to reports. 
A fourth bear was not able to be trapped by FWC, but DNA indicated the bear was not likely involved, according to reports.  
Unusual Bear Behavior 
This is the first fatal black bear attack on a human in Florida’s history, according to FWC records. 
Neighboring boat tour guides described bears getting into sheds and storage areas, drinking poisons, such as lawn chemicals, and even getting into gasoline cans, a possible effect of the severe drought, they said.  
Bears are omnivorous, and most of their diets are usually plants. But the drought has led to fewer plant species being available.  
Golden Gate Estates resident Eric Christopher wondered if the bear that got Markel was the same bear that had got Christopher’s goat approximately 10 days prior.  
Christopher, of 20th Avenue NE, said a black bear killed his family goat, and the bear did not scare away easily. 
“It is extremely rare for a bear to go after livestock. It’s even rarer for a bear to not be scared off by gunfire and stand its ground,” said Christopher.  
After the bear killed the goat, Christopher bear-proofed his property more, he said.  
He likened the unusually aggressive bear to other species that act unusually at times. 
“Dogs in general are good, but sometimes they turn bad. When a dog attacks a child, they don’t say, ‘that’s what dogs do,’ they don’t,” said Christopher. 
It may not be likely that the aggressive bear of the Estates is the same as the aggressive bear of Jerome, located 35 miles southeast. But it’snot impossible. An adult female black bear has an average home range of up to 15 square miles, while an adult male averages 60 square miles, according to FWC.  
During major droughts and famine, bears will range much farther than normal to search for food, they said.  
“I hope it is the same bear,” said Christopher.  
Bear Threat Statistics 
FWC received 16 bear-related calls within a 10-mile radius of nearby Copeland between May 5, 2024, and May 4, 2025, resulting in five site visits, five capture efforts, three bears that were relocated and hazed, and one bear that was humanely killed, FWC reported.  
While it is rare for wild black bears to injure people in Florida, people have been bitten and scratched by bears, most often when there are cubs, food sources, or dogs present, FWC officials said.  
FWC has documented 42 prior incidents where wild black bears have made physical contact with people since the 1970s, when comprehensive records began being kept. Of those, three resulted in serious injuries requiring medical attention prior to these recent deaths. Markel is the first person in Florida to die from an interaction with a wild black bear. 
Black Bear Hunting Meeting Scheduled 
FWC is proposing a hunt in December 2025, and the matter goes before the Commission at their next meetings, which begin 8:30 AM Wednesday, May 21 and 8:30 AM Thursday, May 22 at the College of Central Florida in Ocala. Comments can be submitted in advance by Friday online or by email at commissioners@myfwc.com.  
Florida ended black bear hunting in 1994, but the state allowed a hunt in October 2015. After hunters killed 304 bears in two days, including 179 females, several cubs were left orphaned, and the hunt was criticized internationally.  
Since December 2024, FWC has considered another hunt 10 years later and held public meetings in April.  
The proposal is to offer 187 permits with one bear per permit and 55 to be for the Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties area, where the population is among the highest in the state. Details about the hunt can be found on myfwc.com/hunting/bear/ and the agenda item will have even more background information prior to the meeting posted to/myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/may-2025/, said Lauren Claerbout of FWC. 
Bear Hunting Protest Planned 
Protests against the hunt are being organized around the state this Saturday, and among the vocal bear hunt protestors in Collier County is Bobbie Lee Davenport of Golden Gate Estates.  
“Emotions are running high,” said Davenport in a phone interview.  
“We’ve had a bear incident in bear territory for the first time ever,” she said. “Extenuating circumstances led to this. They found the bear. They killed the bear. There is no reason to use this as an excuse to go out and kill wildlife, so they can have trophies,” said Davenport.  
“This is horrible for the family; it’s horrible for the wildlife; it’s horrible for everybody trying to figure it all out,” she said. 
The protest is planned for 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, May 17, near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Immokalee Road.  
To hear the 911 calls and see the Collier County Sheriff report, go to www.coastalbreezenews.com. 
This bear was sitting in the middle of the road in Coastal Collier County. The driver of the car honked at it and it sauntered away.
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