Grizzlies deaths at three-year high

Norton

Norton

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Radical gun lobby, Alberta chapter
Alberta's human-caused grizzlies deaths at three-year high
By Jason Markusoff, Calgary HeraldFebruary 2, 2009
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Technology/Alarm+raised+over+grizzly+bear+deaths/1244877/story.html

Conservationists are raising alarm about the highest human-caused death toll of Alberta grizzly bears since the provincial government suspended the grizzly hunt three years ago.

By accident, self-defence or other means, people killed 19 grizzlies last year, up from nine in 2007, according to data Alberta Sustainable Resource Development released late last month.

Carl Morrison of the Action Grizzly Bear alliance said the statistics suggest the ministry needs to do much more to prevent more losses in the iconic creature’s dwindling population.

“Obviously that’s fundamental in recovering the species: that we gain more bears than we lose each year,” Morrison said today. “And with the numbers of bears we saw disappear last year, that’s not the case.”

The province began its grizzly recovery plan in 2007, and has been mapping our the bear habitats so it can define where it should limit car and human access. It has also launched extensive education programs to curb human-grizzly conflicts.

Morrison said the studies are happening too slowly and the guidelines are too lax.

Last year’s human-related grizzly mortalities were the most since 2005, when 10 of the 24 deaths were by licensed hunters in the last year of the legal grizzly hunt.

In 2008, six grizzlies were put down because they were posing risks to humans, another six were killed in self defence, and four by accident. Others were killed by aboriginal subsistence hunters, in an illegal kill, or for unknown reasons.
jmarkusoff@theherald.canwest.com

---------------------------------------------
Seems to me that 12 out of the 19 were killed because there are so many of them they were being a nuisance and a threat.
Norton
 
Sounds to me like they're recovering just fine?How many children do you suppose will have to be mauled/eaten in schoolyards before they re-open the seasons?
 
Were any of the six that killed in self-defense charged with anything ? I had heard that shooting a grizzly in self defense could now lead to a poaching charge...
 
gorky said:
Were any of the six that killed in self-defense charged with anything ? I had heard that shooting a grizzly in self defense could now lead to a poaching charge...
Click to expand...

There was a charge laid for a 2007 shooting. Not sure about the 2008 shootings.
 
gorky said:
Were any of the six that killed in self-defense charged with anything ? I had heard that shooting a grizzly in self defense could now lead to a poaching charge...
Click to expand...

Now that's brilliant. Bears have more rights than people??!!

I've spent a great deal of time in bear habitat, and touch wood, I've never had to kill one in a defensive action, but its been a close thing on several occasions. The fact remains that under the right conditions, these things have the potential to be a lethal threat. I think it's preferable to have folks come forward and report defensive shootings than it is to charge someone when the circumstances point to them acting defensively, thus creating and encouraging a shoot shovel and shut-up mentality. If there is no evidence to support that they acted in self defense, then sure charge them, but chances are those people won't report anything. On the other hand if there are circumstances that suggest that an individual bear should have been killed, such as a bear that breaks into an occupied tent or cabin, its nuts to lay charges.
 
jaydog said:
How many kids are being mauled/eaten in schoolyards right now?? Did I miss something on TV?
Click to expand...

No,you didn't miss anything,but managing bears or any game animals based on emotion and a Disney mentality rather than sound game management principles is never a good idea,for the game or humans.An example that quickly comes to mind is the substantial increase in nuisance bears and bear/human encounters in Ontario since abolishing the spring hunting season.Taxpayers are now having to foot the bill to keep Ontario's bear population in check,not to mention the economic impact and lost revenues that were previously generated by non-res hunters.A lose/lose/lose situation....even for the GTA PETA losers that can relish in their victory whilst merrily smashing their beamers into road bears during there annual trip to Algonquin.
 
In 2008, six grizzlies were put down because they were posing risks to humans, another six were killed in self defence, and four by accident. Others were killed by aboriginal subsistence hunters, in an illegal kill, or for unknown reasons.
Click to expand...

Funny the mortality caused by research wasn't specified.......seems to me the number was around 7......
 
I should clarify that that in seven deaths from 2000-2008 but the numbers are available right from the government. I got them from a press release sent out by Action Grizzly Bear. It's not a group I'd put much stock in but their stats are solid. How they interpret them, well that's another matter.......

This quote is somewhat intersting as well.... "There were 19 known human caused grizzly bear mortalities and 15 grizzly bears relocated in 2008. According to the Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan (2008-2013) 30% - 50% of grizzly bear mortalities go unreported and bears suffer a 30% increase in mortality following relocation. This means Alberta may have lost an estimated 28 – 34 grizzly bears in 2008."
 
Last edited:
sheephunter said:
Funny the mortality caused by research wasn't specified.......seems to me the number was around 7......
Click to expand...

That's a very good point, I recall hearing a number like this as well not too long ago.
I've been searching Alberta SRD and every other place I can think of and cannot find mention of this.
I might have read it in the Alberta Game Warden magazine.
 
Norton said:
.
“Obviously that’s fundamental in recovering the species: that we gain more bears than we lose each year,” Morrison said today. “And with the numbers of bears we saw disappear last year, that’s not the case.”
Click to expand...

With this statement Carl Morrison would need to know the recruitment each year?

They are good at taking a few facts and running with them to make some big assumptions that they mix in with the facts.
 
Last edited:
Ya self defence is a hard one. I personally think that a man should not be charged if it was an actually legit reason. I have been chased down before by a grizz. I spoked a sow with 2 cubs one day at work while i wass ridng the quad and she charged at me but i just kept the quad pinned. She gave up once she realized she couldnt catch me. But I used to work in grizz country and let me say one thing. I dont know were they are getting numbers from, but some of the SRD officers that i used to talk to said that on the area i work in, there was something like 400 bears from this zone to this zone and that in the last 5 years that number has climbed from only 200 before. So personally i dont think it was low numbers, i think it was the greenies pushing it. i think they should just open it up to 25 tags a year and then maybe in the future more tags. thats just ym 2 cents
 
LongDraw said:
With this statement Carl Morrison would need to know the recruitment each year?

They are good at taking a few facts and running with them to make some big assumptions that they mix in with the facts.
Click to expand...

With all the work the Grizzly Recovery Team has done, I'm sure they think they know the recruitment. How accurate the GRT's numbers are is certainly being questioned by many but it was without question the most extensive study and inventory ever done on bears in the province.
 
sheephunter said:
With all the work the Grizzly Recovery team has done, I'm sure they think they know the recruitment. How accurate the GRT's numbers are is certainly being questioned by many but it was without question the most extensive study and inventory ever done on bears in the province.
Click to expand...

It is dissapointing that if they have an idea about recruitment numbers they don't mention it in the article. It would be simple math that would validate the statement.

It would water down their mandate I suspect. Not saying that there is not a cause for alarm, but they should say all the numbers and not just the human caused deaths when the article is drawing the conclusion that more bears die from human cause than are born.
 
LongDraw said:
It is dissapointing that if they have an idea about recruitment numbers they don't mention it in the article. It would be simple math that would validate the statement.

It would water down their mandate I suspect. Not saying that there is not a cause for alarm, but they should say all the numbers and not just the human caused deaths when the article is drawing the conclusion that more bears die from human cause than are born.
Click to expand...

"They" didn't write the article that was quoted and I suspect the reporter was looking for little more than sound bites. You know how those media types can be. Here are the numbers from the GBRT as interpreted by Action Grizzly Bear.

"There were 19 known human caused grizzly bear mortalities and 15 grizzly bears relocated in 2008. According to the Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan (2008-2013) 30% - 50% of grizzly bear mortalities go unreported and bears suffer a 30% increase in mortality following relocation. This means Alberta may have lost an estimated 28 – 34 grizzly bears in 2008. With the present population estimate of fewer than 500 grizzlies in Alberta, this equates to 5.6 % to 6.8 % of the total population. This is not sustainable according to the Recovery Plan that states human caused mortality cannot exceed 2.1% in moderate habitat and 4.9% in optimal habitat."
 
I might be way out of whack here, but I’m suspicious of the future spin that might be applied.

As there are more and more bears, there will be more and more encounters resulting in bear mortality.
Those numbers can then be applied to deliberately low population estimates to promote the idea that there are less and less bears.
 
Norton said:
I might be way out of whack here, but I’m suspicious of the future spin that might be applied.

As there are more and more bears, there will be more and more encounters resulting in bear mortality.
Those numbers can then be applied to deliberately low population estimates to promote the idea that there are less and less bears.
Click to expand...

Ya, it's a tough one for sure. There is loads of anecdotal evidence to say there are more bears but science says there isn't.....I honestly don't know what to believe. The inventory undertaken by the GBRT was an extensive one and while fraught with some problems, it is as close to an accurate inventory as we've ever had in this province. Counting bears is akin to herding cats and it is hard to ask for the grizzly season to be reinstated when there is no proof that there is sufficient populations to sustain a harvest. As conservationists first, hunters need to walk this line carefully. We always preach that hunting is good for populations and a sustainable activity but science says it may not be in the case of grizzlies in Alberta. It's a tough call.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom