The spring bear hunt should…

The spring bear hunt should be permanently cancelled. We're in the midst of a global climate emergency. It's irresponsible and misleading to leave climate change science out of the conversation about Black Bears. We need to err on the side of caution with wildlife policies. A recent study found that eastern Canada will see a 200% to 300% increase in 'fire weather'. Look at Australia. No one thought that their wildlife and wild spaces could be decimated in such a short time. Regarding bear predation of moose calves, again, we have to look at the effects of climate change on moose. Warmer winters mean more ticks. From what I’ve read in the news, the ticks are more of an issue for moose than bears are. Also, according to a 2017 study, for every 1°C that minimum winter temperatures rise, bears hibernate for six days fewer. This means that they wake earlier to the food scarcity they’re hibernating to avoid, and turn to human food waste as an option for survival. These are just a few of the ways climate change is affecting wildlife. There’s a lot we don’t understand. I’m sure many others have commented on the innate cruelty of hunters leaving orphaned cubs alone to die. Since sow bears leave their young alone while they forage, it is nearly impossible for hunters to tell males from females. I live in Sudbury, and during years without a good wild blueberry crop, it’s obvious that we need to be serious about managing people to manage our food waste. That has been proven as the only way to minimize human/bear conflicts. Also, during poor blueberry years, it’s obvious that the government needs to hire more Conservation Officers, as dealing with bears in the cities creates problems for the police, when it’s really an MNRF issue. During good berry years – like 2019 – there were very few human/bear conflicts. The Government must also consider the impact of the spring bear hunt on other people's safety, as other people are out enjoying the wilderness at that time. Bears are not “nuisances” nor are their bodies a “product” to buy and sell. They are a vital part of our ecosystem here in Ontario, and it’s high time we started to treat them with the respect they deserve.