Should there be a spring bear hunt? Dr. Keith Munro, a wildlife biologist with Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, argues the hunt is based on science and is sustainable, while Judy Malone of Tourists Against Trophy Hunting says orphaning cubs is too common.

Bear hunting, including the spring hunt, is important to Ontario for a variety of reasons. It is a long-standing hunting tradition, it is an important economic driver for northern and rural communities and, mostly important, it has increased the social tolerance for black bears in the province.

Many people are not aware that before 1961 black bears were considered vermin and shot under a bounty system. It was the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters that…