Dear Minister Yakabuski and…

Dear Minister Yakabuski and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staff,

I am writing to oppose ERO 019-0022 to reduce minimum distance requirement for placement of bait from rights of way and trails for black bear hunting.

I live in Ontario and my main form of recreation in Ontario is camping and hiking with my family and friends. This includes enjoying wildlife, bird watching and photography and we are all very concerned about the reduction in the minimum distance for bait placement for black bear hunting.

As it is right now, hikers and other such recreationalists tend to stay on maintained footpaths while hunters work deeper in the bush where there is little chance of conflicting encounters. Those of us using the Ontario outdoors for recreation who are not hunters, and I believe there are more of us than there are people hunting, are trying to avoid encounters with bears but this proposal will result in a greater risk of human-bear conflict – the very thing the government first said the spring bear hunt was required to reduce.

So to intentionally bring bears closer to the public, most of whom are not hunters and know nothing of firearms and hunting safety, is nothing short of reckless. The bait for the bears would also attract other animals to the area increasing the possibility of negative encounters between wildlife and the non hunting public. As more of us recreationalists who are not hunters use wild spaces, regulations should be put in place to protect us; not increase the possibility or probability that we will be harmed by hunting and hunting-related activities such as baiting.

Moving these bait piles closer to the roadways would also increase the probability of vehicle-wildlife traffic collisions with large animals, which already occur in large numbers without intentionally bringing animals closer to the road. Reducing the distance for bait piles from roadways will contribute to even more collisions between vehicles and animals resulting in serious injury and death for drivers, their children and other passengers as well as the wildlife.

Any support for this regulation is support for increasing negative encounters between people and wildlife and puts human and non-human life at risk – hunters and non-hunters alike. I ask that you reject this proposal.

Thank you.