Vince, interesting info. Why was she calling for the end to bear hunting completely? I doubt any DNR would do such a move, due to the bear population needs to be kept in check. I am sure Ms " Vicky" would love to have one of her kids or buddies mauled while out searching for the yellow belly finch
. I read that Manitoba is like Saskatchewan the DNR need the 2 season to attract hunters to buy tags for bear. Quite simply in sask. if no spring bear the number of tags used or purchase would drop...4300 total for 2002. 2,500 were through outfitters, 75% of those are spring bear hunts. 1,800 residents bought a bear tag last in 2002, less than 30% hunted bears in the fall. The provincial success rate is approx. 65%, 90% with the outfitters. We hunt in the area of 3 outfitters, in the past 2 years our bear sightings...this includes the outfitters has skyrocketed, some say 400% for us it is at around 200%. The outfitter have said their success rate of 90-100% has not changed with the population boom, just more selection. We harvest on average 1-2 per year in our area out of 6 hunters, we all have taken bear and seem to be very selective or just enjoy the ability to be hunting in may and watch the forest come alive. In our little coner we are not even close to keeping up with the demand...so imagine on a broad spectrum what is happening. I just can' t see them reducing or eliminating bear hunting out west, unless the population warrant so.
I have heard many say in Ontario it has backfired, they did it to appease the Peta and Human societies, but it has resulted in less control of pop, more human interaction, less hunters in the field and ulitimately cost both outfitters/province a lot of money.
Clearly it does not seem the best alternative. The bonus is we have less who resist hunting practices out here, unlike Ontario. xcross your finger and hope Ms Vicky gets a muzzle in winnipeg. Funny how people who live in a city that would probably never see a bear can make a sound decision on what best for that animal....I bet if you asked people in areas that have seen or lost livestock to bears due to overpopulation they would set ole vicky straight[
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Oh BTW Praire Boy, I am going bear hunting but in Sask this spring. Well be heading up to set upo baits in about a month and start hunting first of may...can' t wait. You going to vid another hunt...that was pretty cool last year[8D]
who' s all going spring bear hunting in MB?
