What is your scientific…

What is your scientific evidence to support your assertion that the black bear population is healthy?? You do not even have an inventory for bears so you can’t make this assertion. How can we properly assess this proposal without such information?? How long will this alleged “healthy” population remain healthy if you are doubling the number of seasons when bears can be killed every year, and we don’t have a baseline??

Do you realize that female bears don’t always have their cubs by their side, yet your proposal will allow them to be killed and leave orphan cubs behind?? Female bears should not be harvested at all, period!! This proposal is so shortsighted and your organization is so wrong for thinking only of the tourism revenue aspect...

I beg you not to allow two open seasons every year every where!! The following sentence is lifted from your own website: “In 1999, the spring open season was cancelled to address concerns about the potential orphaning of cubs during the spring at a time when they are very dependent“. This is still true today, that has not changed, orphaning and ensuing cub deaths will follow, why would you be reinstating a spring season then??? If you are truly public servants, open your hearts and listen to the concerned public, not just the private interests of heartless operators!!

Have a read at your own published information below and explain how you can even be considering implementing this proposal:

“Black bear populations are vulnerable to over-harvest because they are a long-lived animal, reach sexual maturity relatively late in life, have a low reproductive rate that is physiologically dependent upon environmental conditions (food), and are most sensitive to changes in adult survival, particularly survival of adult females. For these reasons, their harvest must be managed carefully.” Coupled that with the lack of proper statistics or inventory of the number of black bears in their various habitats in Ontario, adding a permanent spring season is NOT careful management but a sure recipe for future sustainability problems!!