I most certainly favour the…

I most certainly favour the continuation of the spring bear season. Aside from population management, the lack of hunting pressure during the 20 year spring closure, reinforced an extreme lack of fear in many bears I have had the pleasure if seeing near our cottage in NW Ontario.

A lack of fear in bears often translates to their own morality because of conflicts with humans. I have seen this MANY times as a former Wildlife Biologist, Park Superintendent and Big Game Outfitter. You may want examples beyond my first hand experiences? Consider last fall's mauling of Winnipeg man
attacked a few miles NE of Clearwater Bay, Lake of the Woods. I hunted bear there two years ago and the bears exhibited zero fear of being hunted. Last summer, a neighbour cottager, was trying to find
someone to shoot a bear that had taken over her quest cabin and then entered the main cottage. No help from MNR because of limited staffing and the difficulty of bringing a culvert trap to an island. Ontario's backcountry is vast and often difficult to access. MNR and OPP staff does not have the human resources to look into every bear complaint. Hunting pressure can work wonders to reduce conflict.

Black bears are hardly endangered in Ontario. For the anti's out there, some food for thought is this.
Grizzly Bear are considered an Endangered Species in the lower 48 States. Normally ES are not hunted however in an effort to "protect" the species, Montana has a very limited hunt designed to create maximum pressure and fear in the bears to reduce human conflict. The annual harvest of two bears off-sets the mortality that would otherwise occur if the animals had more human interaction. I am a graduate of U of Montana and recall the research well.

I have a "bone of contention" with your plan to exclude non-resident Landowners from hunting to prop-up the tourist industry. It would make too much sense to ask your outfitting community to run a business based on merit and value. Instead they would prefer to have it mandated to use their services. I was raised in rural Ontario and worked for MNR in every corner of the province but ended up becoming a very successful Alberta Outfitter. I missed Ontario and purchased a family cottage on Lake of the Woods. So I don't mind paying many multiples for the license that can only be used spring or fall not both. I pay taxes to support the schools, roads, etc. I expect that more tax money comes into the Kenora economy by the non-Ontario residents in that part of the province. So now you want to pander to the guiding lobbyist and treat us the same as someone from Chicago? Thanks a lot. I wish I had known when I was helping put out the big fire of 1980. The best way to manage resources is to have an excellent relationship with the local public. This is a kick in the teeth by the tourist operators and is short sighted.

Last point has to do with baiting. The jury is out on the effects of sugar on the bears. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to consider that it is likely not healthy for bears nor humans. Bears are not stupid so we do not want to habituate them to eating human food and be surprised if they have conflicts with humans/food. Bait should be limited to grain, meat scrapes form inspected domestic animals and skinned beaver. Maybe fish could be included but there could be some enforcement issues as to type of fish and source. Baiting has issues but it is fairly necessary for bow hunters and it will decrease the likelihood of a sow with cubs being taken.

That's my 2 cents. Hope this isn't my last year hunting bear (I normally never shoot anymore cause I have set my sights to something unrealistic to obtain.....happens when you get old).