Man fined for hunting bear with spear

The press doesn't always get this stuff right, but if the report is accurate, in Ontario it is not legal to hunt bears with anything but a firearm, so no archery. But if archery is allowed, and I suspect it is and that the report to the contrary is false, I wonder what the criticism of the spear would be. After all, an arrow is little more than a small spear. If the fellow was poaching, I have no sympathy for him, but if he was hunting with a license I don't understand the charge.
 
Wow it might not be legal to bowhunt bear in Ontario? You can bowhunt bear in Nova Scotia, and we are behind the times with hunting regs. The only thing I can think of is how you prove your throwing arm is the same as a 45lb bow? I assume he would throw the spear, but you never know.
 
Actually, from what I've heard, they stand in the tree above the bait, and more or less drop a very heavy,homemade spear onto/into the bear.
I think the reason it's prohibited is the fact that it's MAJOR ammo for the anti's.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AvrJCT5M1w

According to this video, unless this guy's a Masai warrior, I'd consider this method rather unreasonable and not showing much respect to the animal.
 
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treebutcher said:
I've got to take my hat off to anyone who will hunt a bear with a spear. However after talking about hunting with a DRN guy. The law only allows for certain wepons to be used for harvesting game. Anything else is illegal no exceptions. But I can't see why a spear couldn't be classed as a arrow. If he could prove his abiltiy to take game with it like the bow hunting course, Why not. He should have checked it out before killing a bear, could have saved him a lot of money.
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I don't see how it's any more disrespectful to the animal than shooting it with a rifle... and I don't think shooting a bear is disrespectful either.
 
JohnC said:
Where does it say you can't use a spear to take a Black Bear? (mind you, this is Morontario)
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It's not listed under the definition of "firearm" in the Ont regs...therefore it can't be used for hunting.
Yes bow's and x-bows are listed as firearms too. :redface:
 
It wasn't me guys! Spear hunting is legal in BC!:p

I still have some vague plan to take a bear with a spear, but the spear I bought just wasn't up to it, IMHO. Some African tribesman might be up to throwing the spear I had and killing a bear, but I wasn't...I sorta lost interest in the project after that. For now anyway...

Eventually I'll get a spear built, I am thinking about one with a 24" blade, witha long, sturdy shaft (maybe even some sort of metal tubing) that I can stab the bear with.

If the guy had a bear tag, I htik the charges are silly..
 
If he has a big enough set of nuts to go after a bear with a spear just shake his hand and don't make him angry;)
 
Spears are not designated for hunting bears or any other game in Ontario. Bows / arrows, firerams including blackpowder are designated in the specific regs which can be used for the various species of wildlife.

Seeing as he illegally killed it and illegally exported it back to the US, the other side of the story is that the USFW Service seized it and tapped him another $1000.
 
As for the guy hitting the dear with the boat.....thats just wrong. Charge the bastard and make an example of him. He deserves it.

The guy spear hunting bears. I don't really agree with that either but hey you wanna hunt bears with a pointy stick...best of luck to ya.
 
Fighting a bear with nothing more than a spear?! Well, at least the anti's can't say it's not a fair fight!

Though seriously, if the hunting technique is as a previous poster described it (set bait, wait above it with spear), it seems unsportsmanlike (IMO).
 
I don't see how it's different from setting bait and shooting it. I think it's even more
"sporting" doing it with a spear. Don't know how long it took him, so wether it's humane is another question.
 
If you plan to hunt Bear in Nova Scotia for the first half of the season you must hunt over bait its in the regulations. Your site has to be submitteded to DNR and you need a letter from the land owner as well.
 
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