Anyone been successful in harvesting an Ontario black bear this spring???
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
I wonder how the next government of Ontario will handle this. The gradual re-introduction province wide is what is likely. Just do it is a better solution.
First sighting on Tuesday and saw a monster this afternoon, will be heading out next week after work, I am only hunting farms the same as I do in the fall, the farmers are hopeful that it has an effect on crop damage, I guess we will see.
Saw a nice big one hiking in town limits (WMU 42), but I've been out a couple times with the gun and no sightings yet. Tomorrow is the big day; me and a buddy are hittin' up WMU 39 with high hopes. Hopefully I can post some pics of a nice spring bear soon.
Baited hard with donuts/sardines may 1st-7th with very little activity. Had a monster blond boar come in but didn't take him(looking for a smaller good eating bear). A couple little 90-120 pound bears(too small). From the 5th-7th I had the same atv tracks come up to my stand turn around and leave. Not sure if someone is curious or sitting over my bait so I've left it go dead and hopefully quiet.
Once the temp cools a little(been muggy!)again I'll go back in and see if there's fresh tracks or not. If there is I'm pulling the stand apart and abandoning the site completely. Had trouble in fall too in same general area...
Once the temp cools a little(been muggy!)again I'll go back in and see if there's fresh tracks or not. If there is I'm pulling the stand apart and abandoning the site completely. Had trouble in fall too in same general area...
I hope they re-introduce the spring hunt throughout Ontario. Time will tell. I had an interesting conversation with a retired CO this week. We were talking about the re-opening of the spring hunt. He started talking about back when they cancelled the spring hunt. He said the push to close it was because of the risk of orphaned cubs, he laughed and said, hunters don't orphan many cubs at all, they hunt responsibly and won't shoot a sow with cubs. He said "when those idiots cancelled the spring hunt, we (The MNR) orphaned over 800 cubs the first year", he said we either had to shoot or move the sows that were "problem" bears, and the cubs were orphaned. He said they started having to use/waste man power trapping cubs, and moving them to a place the mnr set up, (I think he said near Huntsville) to raise the cubs and re-release them. He said after a few years they had so many cubs to deal with, they just started shooting them and disposing of them.
He said, you tell me how that was better than selling licenses and letting hunters shoot bears ethically and usefully.
He said, you tell me how that was better than selling licenses and letting hunters shoot bears ethically and usefully.
^ Details that many don't know Fire306!!! Thanks for posting them.
Not to mention that when the boars are not harvested via hunting, they are around to kill cubs... So, we need to add that to the mix as well! As you said, more cubs have died as a result of cancelling the hunt than were ever orphaned by hunting because hunters DO NOT target sows!
To all the hunters lucky enough to be getting out, I am looking forward to seeing pics of the successful hunts!
Cheers
Jay
Not to mention that when the boars are not harvested via hunting, they are around to kill cubs... So, we need to add that to the mix as well! As you said, more cubs have died as a result of cancelling the hunt than were ever orphaned by hunting because hunters DO NOT target sows!
To all the hunters lucky enough to be getting out, I am looking forward to seeing pics of the successful hunts!
Cheers
Jay
I spoke with a CO in April. He mentioned that he had worked the spring bear hunt for nine years and had never seen sow with cubs taken by a hunter. He mentioned that he was aware of two cases during those nine years but that he had not been involved in them.
I'm going to buy a tag in the spring, though I won't hunt bear until the fall I believe. Since the tag is still good for the fall, it makes no difference to me and it will show support for the spring hunt. I can just imagine the government saying "there was little interest from hunters..." so I'll add to the stats.
I'm going to buy a tag in the spring, though I won't hunt bear until the fall I believe. Since the tag is still good for the fall, it makes no difference to me and it will show support for the spring hunt. I can just imagine the government saying "there was little interest from hunters..." so I'll add to the stats.
Good point oldbill, I am also going to buy a bear tag early. I can see the government not continuing the hunt due to lack of interest and tells us they tried while making the anties happy.
Made it out yesterday for a mid-day hunt, managed to scare up one young bear with no chance at a shot, but saw some nice big tracks, possibly one of the biggest bear tracks I've seen in Ontario. Next weekend may be another story. Good luck to all the bear hunters out there!
"when the boars are not harvested via hunting, they are around to kill cubs... "
Something the antis don't mention or conveniently forget.
Grizz
not for here but if one day you saw a grizzly sow chasing a black or grizz boar you ll see what mean means ....
I got a nice 300lb-ish boar on Saturday, not a massive trophy or anything but should be good eating. Past ones I have got in the fall have been in the 200-250lb range so nice to get a new personal record. Had a bait site going for just over 2 weeks and no hits due to cold/rainy weather, wound up getting mine spot and stalk in a cut.
Went out to clean up the bait site tonight (pull down trail camera, etc), and put out the rest of the bait I had stockpiled for whatever wanted it, and look what was on the trail camera:
He came in yesterday evening, the day after I got mine.. of course... Gave the top secret location to a buddy, hopefully he gets it. Those ears are starting to look pretty small on that massive head/body.
Went out to clean up the bait site tonight (pull down trail camera, etc), and put out the rest of the bait I had stockpiled for whatever wanted it, and look what was on the trail camera:
He came in yesterday evening, the day after I got mine.. of course... Gave the top secret location to a buddy, hopefully he gets it. Those ears are starting to look pretty small on that massive head/body.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I hope your friend gets it so we can see it down for some perspective, keep us posted. Congratulations on your success as well mnr, glad to hear of tags being filled in your spring hunt.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Went out to clean up the bait site tonight (pull down trail camera, etc), and put out the rest of the bait I had stockpiled for whatever wanted it, and look what was on the trail camera:
He came in yesterday evening, the day after I got mine.. of course... Gave the top secret location to a buddy, hopefully he gets it. Those ears are starting to look pretty small on that massive head/body.
That's one big ass spring bear. I've seen some fat ones on trail cams but can honestly say no Canadian bears east of Vancouver Island that look like that this time of year. WOW!
