Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada NDP/Greens cancel Grizzly hunt in BC

The say it has nothing to do with science, but all about votes/emotions...

As are most bear hunt closures...

The irrational approach to grizzly hunting was already rampant years ago in BC. I hunted moose, elk and caribou in the Prophet/Muskwa country in 2003, and during the 10-day hunt saw an average of a grizzly a day, without really looking for them, the majority mature bears. There was also grizzly sign on most of the horse trails, and the majority of remains of the big game we killed had bears on them within a day--except for my moose. A big bear tried to move in while taking it apart. Just the week before one of the other guides had to kill a female bear that charged, very seriously, while he and his client were eating their lunch.

At the time the grizzly season was closed in that area. I asked the outfitter why, and he said the game biologist for the area said the population was too low. I then asked, "When did he do his field surveys? In the middle of the winter?"

There quite a population of them around the town of Mackenzie. They hang out at the cosway where wood is sorted on Williston lake. I saw a sow and 2 cubs in October on the train tracks by Mackenzie Pulp. East North and West of where I live is polluted with them. I don't hunt them anymore havent for years but this is gonna reek havoc on our big game especially moose calves.

eric123:
Good evening to you, I trust the rest of your day was better than this news today.

I was pretty sure this was coming and as 7STW says it won't be without repercussions.

It doesn't take much of a crystal ball to see that not only wildlife populations are going to suffer over this - we're going to see an uptick in bear/human incidents too if I'm not mistaken.

I am disappointed but not at all surprised that this government admits it has not one thing to do with science.

Anyway sir, interesting times we live in no doubt, but I still hope that you and the rest reading here in the Canuck section have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Dwayne

Thank you Dwayne.

I was sure wishing that this Government would have went ahead and said that we need to take the meat out, instead of a complete ban..

Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

soon to be all across Western Canada ...

http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2017/2017-12-16/html/reg2-eng.html

Not surprised to see the wolverine. For me sightings are nonexistent. I can take you 30 minutes from my house and show you grizzlies though.

The hunting ban for Grizzly bears has nothing to do with conservation as the government of the day openly admitted it was undertaken only to please the graduates of the Disney Biology program. This is a payback for the Greens siding with the NDP to form a coalition government.

A few observations:

1) The province will not be overrun with problem Grizzly bears. The 250 - 300 a year killed by hunters is only a small fraction of the 15,000 + Grizzly Bears we have resident in BC. Actual mortality for the total population may go up though as these bears taken by hunters annually are generally larger mature boars which generally kill a lot of cubs in their effort to breed.

2) This ban will cost many guides and their employees their livelihoods and the NDP government has already openly acknowledged that fact. Remember that at the next provincial election.

3) The greatest threat to ALL wildlife in BC is human encroachment not hunting.

4) This is the thin edge of the wedge and the animal rights activists are giddy with success and will try and introduce similar bans for other species. Already today I hear one group demanding protection for the white-phase black bear - aka: Kermodie - regardless that that particular type is already protected from hunting.

I see the Canadian system must have hired those already fired from the EPA and NFS. Their opening statement about the lack of biodiversity is an assinine statement showing the lack of historical knowledge. The biological history of the worlds flora and fauna has resulted in thousands of plants and animals go extinct thru no fault of anyone other than a lack of adaptability. The natural climatic change that has occurred thru the millenia has proven Darwins Theory over and over.
Ceasing grizzly hunting will not stop or return bears to whatever population they deem acceptable. The fact is about 1/3 of all large mammals die every years from a variety of naturally occurring circumstances. But those graduates who now hold positions of management and play politics, were never told the truth. Politics + fake science = bad outcomes.

The NDP has bowed down to environmental groups for as long as I can remember. This is a political move that was tried before unsuccessfully and now their kickin the same garbage through to appease the Green Party. Next election this will be abolished. Like it was before.

mule deer, the grizzly problem in the Prophet Muskwa is even worse now than it was when you were there. In one of the bigger concessions in that country, guides will be forced to kill an average of 6 grizzlies a year. They are coming in as soon as the hear a shot now. The outfitter calls Fish Game, the bears are left to rot, because the COs won't give the outfitter a letter authorizing his guides to be in possession of an untagged grizzly.

Yes they are trying to list wolverines under "special concern" right now. We are fighting them tooth and nail over it. Like grizzly bears there is no shortage of wolverines. There is actually a lot of evidence that they are expanding their range. I catch 6 to 8 every winter and my trapline is not in prime wolverine country.

ercic123, as you observed the ban had nothing to do with science. I have hunted big game in BC most of my adult life and in the last 10 to 15 years I have seen grizzly bear numbers increasing. BC had a very regulated and science based grizzly hunt. I think the increasing numbers I saw were due to good management.

My understanding is that once the NDP did the math on site C and saw that it made good sense to go forward with they had to appease their constituency and this was the result.

I sure am glad I punched a tag a few years ago now.

I suspect the number of "incident" grizzly shootings will start to increase.

Westcoaster;
Good morning to you sir and Happy New Year!

I am sorry to read of the health problems in your family - you all will be in my thoughts and prayers.

It's good to hear from you though and I do hope that 2018 is a good year for you all.

Dwayne

Greetings Dwayne,

And a happy new year to you as well.

Yah, life has thrown a few curves at me/us the last little while but we will not be defined by hard travelling. Another 6 months and the hard stuff will be done.

I trust all is well with you and yours, wishing you all the very best in the upcoming year.