Spirit Bears

timber23

timber23

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k here's a random question, just wondering but are the white (spirit) bears endangered or open game? i wouldnt shoot one but the thought just came to me.
 
If you are refering to Kermode bears they are closed to hunting.

Here is what it says on page 65 of the 2008-2009 BC hunting synopsis.

"White (Kermode) and blue (Glacier) colour phases of black bears are closed to hunting.
Note that these animals are rarely pure in colour and are ususally somewhat dirty.
Hunters should pass up any very light-coloured black bear."

I would definately follow these guide lines/regulations but if a nice sized light blonde colour phase were to step out in front of me it's going to be a rug... :D
 
They are just black bears , with a specific gene. Not "endangered" or anything.

They are not open to hunting, ,mostly due to politics..although if they *were* open to hunting, I expect many hunters would go for them, and eradicate thier gene pool quickly, which may or may not be an issue.

Many of the black bear sows have a white cub,and a black cub,ib the same spawn.
 
"Spirit Bear" is a name coined by the enviros to make the bears seem 'mystical' so they could sell their preservationism approach. Seems to have worked for some, David Suzuki and Jane Goodall are onside...enough said.
 
Here is one I was lucky enough to snap some pics of on a trip up to Stewart back in May.

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100_0853.jpg
 
Of course, the Americans will shoot everything to extinction if you let them. Like the sturgeon that we are not allowed to fish in the Columbia. They yank them out of the river left right and center south of the border. It is all about the individual there.
 
Since it has been pointed out that the nick name, "Spirit Bear," is a creation of the lefty pressure groups to aid in their quest to eliminate hunting in general, no one on CGN should use the term.
There was nothing political about originally protecting them from hunting. They were protected in 1946, when I first started hunting in BC, and I don't know how long before that. Politics didn't enter into wildlife management at that time.
As has ben pointed out, the kermode bears are not just albino, like the white moose and the odd white bear from other places, with the pink noses, but have their own gene pool. The biologists think it very important to preserve this gene pool.
 
Curt said:
Of course, the Americans will shoot everything to extinction if you let them. Like the sturgeon that we are not allowed to fish in the Columbia. They yank them out of the river left right and center south of the border. It is all about the individual there.
Click to expand...

... and we are so superior how? It's not like we don't have our fair share of "people" that legally hunt/fish species to near extinction. Ever see how many nets go accross the Fraser River when there is a run? It's a wonder any fish make it up to spawn.
 
Some might say that the First Nations came up with the term Spirit Bear so I should clarify that the NGOs are the ones pushing the term and the associated mystique, like H4831 says they have long been managed as kermode bears.

Very much like the NGOs coined the term 'Great Bear Rainforst' since it sells much better than 'Central Coast' ....sure we do have great bears here but... ;)
Cheers
 
They're not really their own gene pool. All black bears carry the gene. It's just not dominant.

It's like red hair in humans. Huge numbers of people carry the gene for red hair, but it's a recessive gene. As a rule - the only way to 'guarantee' red hair is to have two red hair'd people have a baby. Even then it's not sure.

So we don't hunt 'em, or else they'd be an even more rare colour phase. Just like if you shot all the red hair'd folks, even tho once in a while you'd still have the odd red hair'd baby it would be very very rare.
 
I was camped up the Nass Camp road last summer at Dragon Lake and there was one hanging around Km43. Iheard someone shot it and left it laying at the side of the road. Seems like a real waste to shoot a rare color phase and then just abandon it.
 
Sorry guys, I can't think of the words to fit NGO, which obviously means some type of anti hunting group(s).
I am thinking sheephunter saying the BC Wildlife Federation was NGO, was just an attempt to get somebody going.
OK, I'll bite! The BCWF is the best friend and protector of hunting rights we have in BC.
 
H4831 said:
Since it has been pointed out that the nick name, "Spirit Bear," is a creation of the lefty pressure groups to aid in their quest to eliminate hunting in general, no one on CGN should use the term.
There was nothing political about originally protecting them from hunting. They were protected in 1946, when I first started hunting in BC, and I don't know how long before that. Politics didn't enter into wildlife management at that time.
As has ben pointed out, the kermode bears are not just albino, like the white moose and the odd white bear from other places, with the pink noses, but have their own gene pool. The biologists think it very important to preserve this gene pool.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that..I thought that it was within the last 20 or so years that they made them protected.

There *has* been some recent political pressure to ban ALL black bear hunting in the areas that have white bears, because the bear killed *may* carry the recessive "white" gene. Which may or may not be a real problem. But I will leave that to bios to figure out, hopefully whatever they decide comes from science and not anti hunting group pressure.
 
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