People of Ontario rejected…

People of Ontario rejected spring hunt two decades ago. The so-called trials serve only to appease minority of hunters. This proposal must be rejected for following reasons:

*All bears in spring are vulnerable, and easy targets, after hibernation and weight loss
*A 2008 Ontario study showed conclusively that hunters can’t distinguish gender even at a stand-up bait stations, experience made no difference, and they shoot anyway. Mothers often stash cubs while they forage or visit hunter bait stations so a lone bears is no clue. Hunters also cannot distinguish between a new cub and a yearling.
*Most orphaned cubs die from starvation or predation
*Hunting does not reduce rare episodes of human/bear conflict, it takes place far from communities where issues may arise, and kills bears randomly
*Bears are in decline in regional areas, a critical factor is survival of mothers, and all population counts are estimates
*Increased poaching is additional threat and is facilitated by legal hunt season
*American trophy hunters are often guaranteed “trophy” or a free trip next time, an indication of the success rate with hungry bears at bait stations.

I am calling on my MPP and this government to again ban this indefensible, unethical hunt.