Why do people hunt bears?
 

I was watching a show on one of the hunting/outdoor channels "Savage Outdoors." From Savage Arms. I like Accutrigger but I don't understand something. Sportsman Channel.

They were in Canada somewhere an there were about five or six of them. Briefly, they had set up barrels in the woods that appeared to have food in them, some kind of a attractant (illegal in my state from what I can read, Georgia.) Anyway, they waited for the bears to come eat and then two women shot some bears with a bow and later another guy with a Savage rifle.

My question. How is that hunting? Am I missing something? First, why are they using attractants? And why do they hunt the bears in the first place? Do they eat them? Does it thin the herd so bears don't starve like deer?

I can eat a deer and thin the population but I just didn't get the bear hunting on this show. It looks pointless and unsporting (if you can have such a thing killing animals.)


I know that sounds like trolling. Sorry. I was genuinely puzzled.

While I do not agree with baiting, to answer you're question. Yes. You can eat bears. I shot a black bear 3 years ago and it actually tasted very good. If I had to describe it I'd say almost like a mix between beef and pork. Not only did I get a lot of meat, but also a very nice rug:happy0001:

I've eaten and enjoyed black bear before, not my favorite, but good. I also used to work for a meat processor, and some would bring bear in for sausage just like venison--also good.
As for population control, there are areas where black bears are very plentiful.
As for the baiting, I don't have a strong feeling about it, but I'd point out the following. Hunting used to be (long ago) about getting food rather than as it is now for a lot of people about being sporting. So, way back when, people developed methods of hunting that were efficient at getting meat rather than being sporting. Baiting is one such method. If your trying to plow a field with a horse, make some clothes, and cut wood for the winter, you probably don't have enough time to chase bears around for a week. Thus, you figure out how to get them as easy as possible. Some of those old methods survive--right or wrong. And, those that grew up with them will tend to see them as the norm.
I'm currently building points for a Wisconsin bear hunt, and if and when I get one, it will be consumed.

I don't have a problem with people that need to eat. It was that these folks were over joyed and it looked like fish in a barrel. They killed 34 bears. They weren't eating them. Maybe they gave them away. I don't know. I just didn't think I could be overjoyed about an high priced hunt where they throw food out to fool the bear. But long ago, yes, I get that and would do the same thing.

Here's the show. Alberta teaser trailer:

http://savageoutdoors.tv/

am I wrong? Aren't those some kind of baiting barrels?

Why do they hunt coyotes, why do they hunt prairie dogs, why do they hunt wolves, why do they hunt cougars, why do they hunt lions, why do they hunt leopards? I can go on and on and on.

A bear has no natural predators any more other than other bears. Something has to control the bear population.


How do you know this?

AS far as baiting them goes...... I haven't, but have you ever tried to get close to a black bear in the Alberta woods. I can't imagine it would be very easy or effective... not to mention it would probably pretty dangerous with the high population of bears up there that would be even higher if they didn't allow baiting.

Because they want to, and they can.

And they taste good and make fine trophys and rugs.

Because they want to, and they can.
Ever hunt over a food plot? Or a water hole? Same thing.

Have you never seen whitetail deer be lured in with a deer feeding station. or a muley with a saltlick. and in africa for a leopard they will hang a peice of meat in a tree. and as bigbulls said, how do you know that they did not eat them, did they specify that they were not going to eat the bears and/or show them throwing the bears out? and i do not understand why you dislike bear hunting so bad, is it because people bait the bears? if so not all people bait bears i have seen many people not bait bears i my self run bears with hounddogs and have also hunted them with no bait with no dogs just spoting them on a ridge or knowing they are in a certain area and just going in there and hunting them, just like you would hunt deer or elk.

First black bear meat is good if taken care of, I hunt bears for the meat, if I shoot one that I really like I will get a rug made,but the intention is to eat what I shoot. Baiting is legal in some areas, not in others,in Canada and Alaska, the reason for baiting is simple many areas are so vast and so thick there is no other reasonable method besides baiting, I hold a baiting license , that I have used one time,I chose to hunt areas where I can spot and stalk , but that means there are huge areas I simply can't hunt ,there are alder thickets that hide moose in large numbers and moving through these is never quiet.The DFG estimate is 100,000 black bears in the state, I believe that's low, by at least half, but most people will never see a bear unless it crosses the road in front of them.[ Last] hunting bears of any kind seems to be good for their numbers, hunters target the large adult males, and these are the cannibals ,an adult male will kill the cubs if given a chance,so taking a number of them out of the picture we insure the survival of a larger number of cubs.& elk calves Deer fawns, and moose calves.

hit that one on the head! here in utah where me and houndsman 12 live you can only bait bears if you have an archery/bait permit. this year they actily have a permit objective for bear and lion witch will decline the numbers dramaticly!