I am very much opposed to…

I am very much opposed to any kind of Spring black bear hunt. I've read the proposal and the news articles outlining the 'pros' of having such a hunt and they are just not compelling. It is predominantly the anglers and game hunters associations pushing misinformation about the 'necessity' of such a hunt, and severely downplaying both the severity of the negative consequences as well as their likelihood. In addition, the money brought in by hunting cannot seriously be taken as a consideration when it flies in the face of these negative consequences.

The reality is that there is no need for a Spring black bear hunt. Listening to unbiased wildlife biologists, rather than biased pro-hunting lobby groups, makes that abundantly clear. Bottom line - it is unconscionable and indefensible to prey on any species during breeding season. The risks are too high - and are undeniably cruel. I understand that there are written regulations to guard against hunters shooting nursing females and cubs, but that's a weak 'protection' at best. Hunters will profess that they can determine if a female bear is nursing her young, but the reality is that it is extraordinarily difficult to accurately determine nursing status of free-ranging black bears. The overwhelming conclusion drawn by wildlife officials in the field is that the regulation looks good on paper but is spectacularly difficult to implement in the field.

Ultimately, this hunt invariably leaves dependent cubs orphaned - it's inevitable. Given the difficulty of making solid determinations of which bears are definitively nursing mothers by hunters, it makes no sense to have a Spring black bear hunt in Ontario. I come from a long line of hunters and this is abhorrent to all of us. No ethical hunter is pushing for this. The comments and propaganda I see in social media and in the news pushing for these regulations are from those who want the hunt simply because they enjoy it or stand to make money from it. Decisions about the wildlife in this province (and the structure of hunting laws) should be informed by scientists and unbiased wildlife biologists, not only by those that stand to gain from changes to the laws.