Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Why do people hunt bears?

As an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation I'd have to pass on em Bob. These organizations are hard to navigate. You look at them and they show you this shiny object with their right hand and you say yes,I'm in! Then you see what their left hand is doing and you say wait a minute! That trying to please everyone thought process gives me pause on most of these new organizations that claim to be for sportsmen such as ourselves. As I've aged things are more black and white to me with fewer gray areas in my eyes. I've come across a lot of BHA members who share fireballs thoughts on baiting bears. Many are also opposed to hound hunting bears and lions, trapping of any sort, some even oppose any killing of apex predators! It's what prompted my question to fireball as I'm sure you suspected. I dont have a problem with people being opposed to the things I mentioned above, and they're welcome to express their opinions. What I have a problem with is hunters actively working to end those things because in their mind they don't see them as fair chase, many of them having never participated in those above mentioned activities. We are such a small percentage of the population anymore, you might even say the last of a dying breed, that we can't afford to divide ourselves. Some of these new groups are doing exactly that, intentionally or unintentionally.

P.S. Fireball expressed his opinion on bear baiting which prompted my question to him. I attach none of the other things mentioned above to him, as I dont know him or his thoughts on those things.

Excellent Post!

I agree DW7, it is confusing and frustrating. It would be a disappointment to find out that you had supported a group operating under false pretenses.



mike r

Yeah, any time a lifelong hunter and sportsman doesn't toe the party line (expresses an opinion not politically correct with sportsman), he's gotta be the enemy somehow. We're not sure how, but we're pretty sure he's the enemy.

I express a deep and abiding respect for bears (and I hunt the sheit out of them every chance I get) and point out how they are in fact different from other game animals when challenged to do so, but the bottom line is I must be wrong somehow because I don't toe the line.

I respect coyotes too, even though I've killed more than I could count. A sportsman that doesn't respect anything he shoots really is more a base animal than the game he hunts.

Nope fireball, in fact I made a point to say they were entitled to their opinion, just as you are, and we can agree to disagree on a topic. The problem I have is hunters actively trying to end a legal activity they don't deem ethical or fair chase.

Fair chase is a subjective term as it's never fair. If the hunted, could hunt back there would be a lot less hunters in the world.

It is all in ones mind what they want to deem fair. Baiting an animal is no different than calling an animal. But some will surely disagree! As hound hunting cats, pigs, or whatever is any different than hound hunting bear or deer.

Bears are not any different than any other animal out there.

montana wildlife federation is not a new organization....it was established in 1936......i believe they have worked for public land access....where instrumental in the stream access laws ....working with landowners with access issues etc.....i do contribute a couple of times a year to them....if there is a downside to them i am all ears....

there are plenty of ..hunters..who don't belong to bha....that object to the issues you raise.......bob

The down side for me is that they are affiliated with the national wildlife federation. In my eyes the grizzly bear is recovered, and we should be hunting them on a limited, well managed basis rather than game departments having to kill "problem" bears.

https://blog.nwf.org/2016/10/affiliate-of-the-week-montana-wildlife-federation/

I agree with you in that there are plenty of hunters who are not BHA members who object to the issues I raised and as I said earlier I'm ok with that, we can agree to disagree and even work together on things we do agree on. But what I don't understand, is those hunters actively working to eliminate opportunity because in their eyes it's not fair chase or ethical. David Peterson is the glaring example that comes to mind. In 92 he actively campaigned to eliminate spring bear hunting, baiting bears, and running them with hounds here in Colorado because it wasn't fair chase in his mind. He later founded the Colorado chapter of BHA and was the chapter president for a number of years. Who am I to say another hunter shouldnt hunt the way he chooses if hes hunting in a legal manner? That's what the antis do to us, and they're enough to deal with. We shouldn't also need to worry about those we think are on our team.

DW7......I agree ….if it is in a legal manner, how one hunts ...dogs...bait..etc...should be supported by fellow hunters.....you may not like it but if legal …..support it.

I think the Montana wildlife federation supports grizzly hunting as a management tool...…..I have not seen a downside to them ( yet ) I think they have a pretty good track record. no organization is going to be perfect ……..bob

Saw (3) Yesterday.

Hint................

Completely agree Bob.

Fireball gave me some bear jerky a few years back.


It was yumalicious! Awesome.

I had a friend tell me years ago the Chippewa I believe called it sweet venison.

The fall fat I am told is coveted for pastries.

I think bears are related closely to the porcine species.

The carcasses are freaky! The front legs and hair look almost human.

100% nailed it.

Nice post.