Comment
I oppose the spring bear hunt and believe it should be cancelled again like in 1999 when the Ontario Progressive Conservatives acted on evidence that it "left about 270 orphaned cubs each year. About one-third of the 4,000 bears killed each spring have been female." (link attached)
The spring bear hunt is unnecessary and outcome of it is always large number orphaned cubs that later die by starvation.
It is not true that killing bears helps manage human/bear conflicts. The best way to manage it is to make sure people take care of their own garbage and waste.
There are better ways to attract tourist to Ontario than trophy hunting. Report should be made how bear hunt affects other recreational activities in Ontario, how safety of other people who want to enjoy outdoors is affected by small number of hunters.
In the case that government decides to continue bear hunt it needs to make sure that female bears are TRULY protected during both sprint and fall hunts. Evidence as to the accomplishments and milestones of the current pilot projects (not the original strategy written before the hunts) need to be released to the public first. Baiting should be banned. Baiting bears in spring when they are hungry after winter is unethical. If hunting is to continue, hunters should at least make some effort to track animals. Tracking would also give them more opportunities to identify sex of their pray correctly. Government needs to ensure adequate funding to hire more conservation officers to enforce regulation on the ground. Government should also provide adequate resources to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned bear cubs when female bear is killed during hunt.
Submitted February 1, 2020 9:20 AM
Comment on
Proposed changes to black bear hunting regulations
ERO number
019-1112
Comment ID
42491
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Comment status