Black bears have the lowest…

Black bears have the lowest rate of reproduction of any land mammal in North America and reach sexual maturity late in life. Most females cannot produce cubs every second year, may do so every 3-4 years, but also can take up to 8 years. In Ontario, depending on the region, 25-55% of cubs die in their 1st year and about 20-25% die in their 2nd year. Mortality rates in cubs are due to starvation, predation by other animals, falls from trees and road kill. Mortality rates in adult bears (over 2 years) are due to hunting, other human related conflicts, starvation, road kill and fights with larger bears. Very few bears die of disease.

For these reasons Ontario bears are vulnerable to over-harvest and must be managed carefully.

In 1999, the spring open season was cancelled by the previous Liberal govt. to address concerns about the potential orphaning of cubs during the spring, a time when they are very dependent. Cubs stay with their mother's until they are 17-18 months old. At that time the provincial estimated population of black bears was 75,000-100,000.

In April 1999, the status of black bears was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO). At that time black bears in Ontario were listed provincially as ’Not at Risk’ on the Species at Risk in Ontario List (SARO). That was 21 years ago. According to world renowned wildlife specialists, since 1970 (50 years), 66% of the world's wildlife has disappeared. Ontario is not immune to this. For all of the aforementioned reasons, the spring bear hunt should be stopped, until the COSSARO can reassess the status of bears in Ontario.

Public opinion about black bears has changed in the past several decades, due to increasing awareness of the bear’s ecological role and an increased appreciation for the intrinsic value of the species. Black bears are recognized as an integral part of natural ecosystems. A landscape that can support the habitat requirements of bears can support a variety of other plant and animal species. Black bears are omnivores, the bulk of their diet is plant material, but they also consume some animal protein through scavenging and predation on insects, mammals and fish.

There are many thousands of interactions between bears and humans in Ontario on an annual basis, without conflict. Black bears are one of the most intelligent mammals, try to avoid humans and will often even resort to nocturnalism to do so. Since 1881 (139 years) only 10 people in Ontario have died as a result of bear attacks.

The majority of this information is from the Ontario Ministry of Natura Resources own website and some is from
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&cad=rja…