I wholeheartedly endorse the…

I wholeheartedly endorse the full return of the spring bear hunt. I have spent a significant amount of time working throughout northern Ontario since 2003 and have observed apparent increased populations of black bears. Bringing back the spring bear hunt will help keep the black bear population in check, which may in turn help with the declining moose population (the increased black bear population has been observed to directly impact moose calf mortality) and very importantly, revenue from the hunt will go toward helping Ontario wildlife through OFAS licensing fees as well as helping small northern businesses and communities who have been adversely impacted by the cancellation of the bear hunt. I have personally witnessed an increase in human-bear conflicts over the years among myself and my colleagues and members of the general public and believe that a full return to the spring bear hunt can help minimize these conflicts as the bear population is kept to a sustainable level; this in turn will help minimize needless harm to both bears and humans. In my opinion, the spring bear hunt is necessary to maintain a healthy bear population and the revenue generated by hunters, especially from out of province, is important from a sustainable wildlife perspective and a benefit to all residents of Ontario. Do not be deterred by vocal opponents of the hunt whose arguments are not based in scientific studies; the spring bear hunt supports healthy bear populations and is good for all of Ontario.