The spring bear hunt should…

The spring bear hunt should not be re-introduced. Hunters are not skilled enough to humanely kill animals. In veterinary medicine, we have researched effective and humane methods of euthanizing various species of animals so that it is quick and painless (i.e., humane). There is no equivalent humane method for hunters and many animals are injured and die days later (i.e., inhumane death).

Hunters value their safety and thus they use bait and then sit in stands above the bait waiting for bears to visit. It is difficult to differentiate female and male bears from above or even on the ground. This invariably results in the death of nursing females and orphaned cubs that die, are killed, or need to be saved by rescue organizations.

Black bears are everywhere in British Columbia, and the residents of this province are able to go about their daily lives with few problems. The exception are bears that people feed - a man-made problem. So the argument that hunting serves to control bear numbers for human safety is ridiculous.

I know one of the researchers who investigated the results of the spring bear hunt before it was banned. The conclusion was that the spring bear hunt was disastrous with many orphaned cubs that died or needed to be rescued. I would like to think that Canadian society is a bit more progressive, and that the spring bear hunt remains banned.

In my long career as a veterinarian, I have seen a huge change in the way society reacts to animal suffering, and our government should pay attention. A society that cares about animal welfare is an empathetic one.