Spring Bear Hunt: Economics, Ethics or Heritage?
Those opposed to the reinstatement of the spring bear hunt question the economics and the ethics of hunting during the spring when sows are raising cubs and disparage the practice of baiting and waiting in a blind. Opponents also emphasize that the spring bear hunt will not decrease the number of bear-human conflict.
Jim Johnston, Bear Wise Elliot Lake, was a hunter of moose and small game for over three decades. He retired his Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) membership stating a conflict with their communication practice.
Of the reinstatement of the spring bear hunt Johnston stated, “It absolutely won’t address public safety issues. There’s two driving forces that creates nuisance bear activity. One is crop failure of natural food supplies outside the community. And the second is the amount of available food inside the community- natural food or other food that is non-natural like garbage, bird feeders, composters and restaurant dumpsters.”
