Ontario Proposed Spring Black Bear Hunt - EBR Posting - Closes Nov 30th

[Kenny_G2]

I received the following message from a friend that is a SCI member. They are looking for people to comment on the Spring Bear Hunt EBR posting. I will be submitting a comment to support the hunt and a few other topics. The 5 year pilot is not needed, just make it permanent across Ontario like it was before. Some of the baiting restrictions are ridiculous, the no private land one and the weight limit are the 2 that caught my eye.


http://campaign.scifirstforhunters.org/2015/11/25-CAN/

Dear SCI-Canada member we need your help.

The Ontario government has proposed a 5 year spring black bear hunt and have posted an EBR for comments by Ontario residents. They are asking if the spring black bear hunt should be extended to all 88 WMU's as well as specific bear baiting questions.

The good news is the hunt looks like it will go ahead. However the Anti's are working very hard to stop this from happening and have sent in more negative responses to the proposal then positive comments received to date. We need you to respond to the EBR through the following link prior to November 30th.

http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-Ex...ticeId=MTI2MzQ1&statusId=MTkwNjk4&language=en

I have included SCI Canada's response to the EBR for your information, please see attached.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Jason St. Michael
SCI Canada Operations Manager

 

[hoytcanon]

Here is what I posted;

"It is about time the spring bear hunt is being reinstated. Municipalities and police forces were swamped with nuisance bear calls, costing taxpayers millions of dollars, when the hunt could be generating millions of dollars of revenue for communities that really need the income boost. The hunt was never cancelled based on a biological necessity, rather political expediency. Even now the focus is on orphaning cubs, which has NEVER been a problem during the spring hunt. The Ontario Government should start paying attention to the people who have accurate information, the biologists and foresters and outfitters... even your own harvest data.

I am in favour of reinstating the spring bear hunt across all historical hunting regions and without new regulations that are simply pandering and political posturing.

I am available for contact, should someone care to have a fact based discussion on the subject."

 

[m12man]

The biggest majority of so called outfitters happen to be the same bunch of slugs that close public land for their own uses $$$$$. I do not see any increase in bears since the spring hunt was cancelled, if anything I do not see as many and I live in prime bear country. Bottom line is that I do not see any need for a spring hunt!!

 

[waltman]

Here is what I posted;

"It is about time the spring bear hunt is being reinstated. Municipalities and police forces were swamped with nuisance bear calls, costing taxpayers millions of dollars, when the hunt could be generating millions of dollars of revenue for communities that really need the income boost. The hunt was never cancelled based on a biological necessity, rather political expediency. Even now the focus is on orphaning cubs, which has NEVER been a problem during the spring hunt. The Ontario Government should start paying attention to the people who have accurate information, the biologists and foresters and outfitters... even your own harvest data.

I am in favour of reinstating the spring bear hunt across all historical hunting regions and without new regulations that are simply pandering and political posturing.

I am available for contact, should someone care to have a fact based discussion on the subject."

That is excellent! I'll comment on the EBR but I really don't expect them to pay any attention to what we have to say, it's only a way to make us think the government listens. Their collective heads are so sandwiched between their arse cheeks they'd never hear.

 

[hoytcanon]

The biggest majority of so called outfitters happen to be the same bunch of slugs that close public land for their own uses $$$$$. I do not see any increase in bears since the spring hunt was cancelled, if anything I do not see as many and I live in prime bear country. Bottom line is that I do not see any need for a spring hunt!!

Are you frigging kidding me!!!

You clearly do not understand bear biology.

In fact bear numbers have increased dramatically across Ontario since the spring hunt closure... this can be seen in the increased number of bear/auto collisions, nuisance bear calls, and bear intrusions into towns and neighborhoods.

Bears like other big game are a RENEWABLE resource.

If you don't hunt then get out of the hunting forum...

If you do hunt, get off your "high horse"...

 

[Dorian Gray]

I don't think the pilot project is worthwhile. Just bring it back in full and don't limit bait sizes. Some baits are a hundred miles away from the closest town and limiting the size of baits to 10kgs would negatively impact the people hunting up there. I doubt people will comply with limited bait sizes in areas like that anyway but we don't need more laws on the books and more people potentially being charged for what amounts to nothing of consequence anyway.

 

[Jay]

This is important guys, please take the time to submit your comments, you can be sure the antis are... My comments are below.

I believe the spring bear hunt should be reinstated for both residents & non residents in all WMUs that have a healthy bear population.

When the hunt was cancelled, the revenue generated from outfitting was lost, the number of nuisance bear calls increased dramatically and all of this ended up costing Ontarians millions & millions of dollars.

With regards to the new regulations being proposed to 'control' aspects of how the spring bear hunt is conducted. I do not believe new regulations are required. These new regulations would only pander to the anti-hunting crowd and burden the law abiding.

With regards to the 5 year pilot study, I don't believe there is a need for it. We all know that bear populations are very healthy in Ontario & the management of this resource should follow existing guidelines no different than those for deer, moose etc.

It is time to put aside all of the 'noise' and simply re-open the spring bear hunt.

Kind Regards
Jay

 

[hoytcanon]

I believe the spring bear hunt should be reinstated for both residents & non residents in all WMUs that have a "HEALTHY BEAR POPULATION."

Be careful with your wording, Jay... one of the anti's tricks is to demand imperial evidence of a "huntable population" of the species in question. Bears are very difficult to get an accurate count of, in the process of providing "imperical evidence" of population numbers, there is often lobbbying to have hunting halted in the interim.

The truth is there is NO SHORTAGE of black bears across their recent historical range.

 

[Jay]

I hear ya hoytcannon, but I must say if they pander to that, then there's no will to reinstate it in the first place. That's why I said there was no need for a 5 year study, bear populations are healthy & the hunt should simply be reinstated.

I am surprised that so few folks on here have commented that they provided feedback to the EBR. You can be sure the ANTIS are!!! If we all don't speak up, our voice will likely get drowned out!

Cheers
Jay

 

[madtrapper143]

I put in my comments. Asked for the hunt to come back as it was when it was cancelled. No new regulations or changes are required.

Darryl

 

[Highwind]

When I resided in NWT bears were never taken lightly. They are truely wild in that environment and will not hesitate to disturb people, dogs etc. One time there were 5 bears roaming the community at the same time. Everyone was instructed to stay indoors and the community hunter promptly went out and dispatched all of them. They weren't concerned with shewing them off. They considered the bears to be a danger to the community. But that was the circumstances in NWT in an isolated community.

On another ocassion, there was a guy in Minnesota who had a bear cub that he was raising due to the death of the sow. It was small at that time and it probably weighed about 25 pounds. He said to me you can pick it up - it won't bit. I did and it pushed itself away from me and I couldn't believe how much strength it exerted. It was powerful for it's small size.

I don't actively hunt bear - but I have had to dispatch two bears in my time. I have learned that a bear can be unpredictable and therefore extreme caution must be taken with them.

As far as the political scene on the spring bear hunt is concerned I'm kinda neutral on the issue on if it ought to be re-opened or not. Having said that, a troublesome bear should be dispatched due to the danger and harm it can do to people and their pets in certain areas. If I was considering bear as a food source - I would prefer it to be fat and healthy rather then on the thin side.

 

[galamb]

On a positive note this is most probably already a "done deal".

Just like the Moose hunt changes where they didn't ask for comments until long after the new regs were probably printed up, from the releases thus far from the Ministry it sounds more like "we are opening up the Spring hunt again in all bear hunting WMU's".

So the anti's can gripe, but Ontario's need for general revenue dollars from bear licence sales and no doubt their ability to say to outfitters "ya we trashed your moose hunting bucks, but more American's came up for Bear anyhow, so here you go, the hunting dollars will come back", there is probably little chance that anyone can say anything one way or the other and prevent the hunt from going ahead.