Hunters often claim they can…

Hunters often claim they can tell if a female bear is nursing her young. But, five 'Fish and Wildlife' staff in the U.S. seem to disagree. In a discussion paper, they wrote:
~ "The conclusion of most biologists is that it is quite difficult to accurately determine nursing status of free-ranging black bears, even when a bear is in a tree or at bait. The appearance of nursing females in the kill each spring supports this notion."

Hunters claim that Spring Bear Hunts don't leave dependent cubs orphaned, just because there is a regulation to protect them. But in the discussion paper written by five staffers with various Fish and Wildlife agencies in the United States they tell us that such regulations are not that reliable.

"Proponents of spring hunting usually point out that most states protect females with cubs by regulation. The regulation looks good on paper but is very difficult to implement in the field because of bear behavior."

This paper, titled: "Sociological and Ethical Considerations of Black Bear Hunting" and was written by five staffers with Fish and Wildlife agencies in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, California and Montana. We have this document as a paper file, and it does not appear to be available online. Nevertheless, the statements quoted in this post have been reproduced verbatim.

The writers of the discussion paper are: Thomas D. I. Beck, David S. Moody, Donald B. Koch, John J. Beecham, Gary R. Olson, Timothy Burton