Photo Copyright Jim Robertson
Published Saturday, April 26, 2014 11:41AM EDT
The Ontario government says it may consider opening up its bear hunt program to Americans if the spring pilot program fails to control the animal’s population.
Starting in May, a six-week bear hunt program will be reinstated in eight wildlife areas known for having public safety issues due to bears.
The program, which was originally nixed in 1999, was revived last year by Queen’s Park. It aims to reduce the number of emergency calls where nuisance bears pose a threat to the public, especially young children.
“We can’t have bears in the playgrounds,” Ontario’s Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti told CTV Toronto on Friday. “There are no parts of Ontario where this is acceptable and it certainly shouldn’t be acceptable in northern communities and cities.”
Currently, the spring bear hunt is limited to local hunters. But the Ontario government says it would consider opening it to Americans if the program is not as effective as planned.
While the program is not popular with many animal rights groups and activists, including TV personality Bob Barker, many residents in northern communities support the hunt.
During the spring season, it’s not uncommon for schools up north to be placed in lockdown as a result of a nearby bear.
The animal has also been known to wander into residential areas, leaving residents trapped in their home.
“I’ve had a situation where the bear was trying to crawl through a window, where the mom and the daughter were calling from a phone in the bedroom, trying to get somebody to deal with the bear,” Gilles Bisson, the Ontario NDP MPP for Timmins-James Bay, told CTV Toronto on Friday.
Nearly 50 mayors and city councils across northern Ontario have passed resolutions calling for participation in the spring bear hunt.
But earlier this month, Animal Alliance of Canada and Zoocheck Canada filed an application for judicial review and a notice of constitutional question in an attempt to stop the program from starting.
According to the groups, the hunt is tantamount to animal cruelty, because they say mother bears may be killed, leaving their orphaned cubs to certain death, either by starvation or predators.
“This is the only large-game species that are hunted when the young are still dependent on their mothers and it is inevitable that cubs will be orphaned,” Julie Woodyer, of Zoocheck Canada, told The Canadian Press earlier this month.
The case will be heard in court on Tuesday.
With files from CTV Toronto’s Paul Bliss and The Canadian Press http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/u-s-hunters-may-be-invited-to-help-control-ontario-s-bear-population-1.1793759
Exposing the Big Game 
People suck Jim really suck
Louise Kane louise@kaneproductions.net 508-237-8326
Unfortunately, I’d have to agree with you Louise.
This is not a “bear problem.” What Canada needs (like the U.S., which it now emulates), is a “hunt to control human population.” Down the line, as planetary life diminishes further, many humans will be hunting and eating each other.
I agree completely with Rosemary’s comments. This is an excuse to go out and blast away at the local wildlife as they see them as an inconvenience. These lovely bears have their own right to exist. The human race is increasing at an alarming speed and more homes are being built and habitats are being lost – where is the wildlife supposed to go? Let’s control our own species. Shame on the Ontario government for encouraging people to massacre these majestic bears. Why can’t they cherish their beautiful wildlife instead of wanting to destroy it? Surely these bears could be darted and relocated to other areas or is that too simple because (a) the government won’t spend the money to do this and (b) it’s much more fun to kill them. This should not be happening in 2014!
Incredible. We’re overrunning the planet, and killing anything that gets in our (or our little progenies on the playgrounds) way. I certainly can see the difference – interminable lines everywhere you go now, increased noise, too much traffic, and too many rude, selfish and dumbed-down humans.
I couldn’t agree more ! The bears were there first, the forests and woods are their home. Humans are destroying the planet, I just wish that Nature would take revenge on these disgusting people who enjoy killing these bears who have done nothing wrong. I thought that in some parts of Canada they are airlifted to other areas.
They can just bloody well stay away from my bears – omg I wish I were back home right now !!!!