I am strongly opposed to the…

I am strongly opposed to the Ontario government’s desire to bring back the spring bear hunt.

In the fall it is different. In early spring, bear cubs cannot accompany their mothers when they go to forage for food and are left hidden in brush or trees. There is no way hunters at baiting stations or those pursuing bears with dogs can tell whether the bear is male or a female. If they kill a sow, they cannot be held responsible under the law because they did not kill a “sow with cubs.”

If there is the slightest chance that even a few bear cubs could become orphaned then the hunt inhumane and cruel.

Hunting lobbies believe that bears are responsible for the decline in Ontario moose populations and that male bears kill their young. This is untrue, bears are primarily vegetarian and are not responsible for the decline in our moose population. Clear-cutting, aerial spraying, wetland destruction, development and not putting a moratorium on hunting are responsible.

We already have a fully legal bear hunt season in the fall. If anyone is concerned about controlling the bear population, that can be taken care of in the fall.

There is no excuse for bringing back the spring hunt. It should be banned and remain banned.