Posted on 07/08/2011 4:38:57 AM PDT by marktwain
OTTAWA — Canada may not have the second amendment, but the government will soon allow some people to bear arms in national parks with polar bears.
Parks Canada announced it will be loosening restrictions in nine of its parks to allow specially licensed individuals to carry firearms for protection from polar bears. At the moment, there are significant restrictions on who may carry firearms in national parks.
"There's lots of places where people should never be in Canada as a whole without a firearm. If they need to be, or want to be, in these areas . . . it only makes sense to have a firearm," said University of Alberta biologist Andrew Derocher. "I wouldn't go into these areas without a firearm, so I don't see why other people shouldn't (carry a gun)."
Derocher is a polar bear researcher who has made numerous trips to the arctic. He said a gun wouldn't necessarily need to be used to kill the bear, but could be used to scare it off.
Parks Canada's executive director for the North, Rob Prosper, said the change to the regulation is part of an effort to improve the safety of those travelling to the nine parks designated by the agency. He said not just anyone will be able to walk into one of the parks armed to the teeth; the change is designed to benefit licensed guides and those with land claims within the parks. Researchers are also able to request a licence if a guide is unavailable to join them.
"The proposed National Parks of Canada Wild Animals Regulations will enhance the protection of wild animals in our national parks and help ensure that all visitors have a safe and positive experience," Environment Minister Peter Kent said in a statement.
Biologist John Smol of Queen's University has made 28 trips to the Arctic. Smol said he has had to use a shotgun he carries a number of times to scare off polar bears, but has never had to shoot one. One time his research team returned to the campsite, only to find a polar bear tearing a tent apart. The group was forced to fire a warning shot.
"They're beautiful animals, and the last thing you would want to do is shoot them," he said.
Smol uses a variety of other deterrents and techniques to prevent coming into contact with bears. Food is always well sealed and kept away from the campsite, alarms are set up in the event a bear crosses into the campsite and every member of his research team is armed with pepper spray. The gun is intended as a last resort.
Derocher said the bears can be very unpredictable. Sometimes they are simply curious when confronted by humans, but other times they may be hungry and searching for food. This, he said, is being exacerbated by the retreating sea ice, making it harder for bears to find food.
"On balance you're better off in a lot of these areas with a firearm. Even if they aren't used as a direct killing device, (but used) as a deterrent it gives you some flexibility to deal with situations."
The change comes as the government opened public consultations Thursday in an effort to overhaul existing regulations. The consultation will continue until the end of the year. The last time the regulations were last amended was in 1997.
National parks designated as "polar bear parks":
- Ivvavik and Vuntut national parks in the northern Yukon
- Tuktut Nogait National Park in the northern Northwest Territories
- Aulavik National Park, on Banks Island, N.W.T.
- Quttinirpaaq National Park, on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut
- Sirmilik and Auyuittuq National Parks, on Baffin Island, Nunavut
- Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador
- Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, north of Churchill.
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Yeah, about time. I was surprised when Canadians passed such restrictive gun legislation several years ago. I think they're having “voters remorse” now.
Here in the U.S., finally, we can legally be armed in national parks now. We don't have polar bears but we do have our cougars and grizzlies who snack on humans every now and then...
When are people going to rise up and demand that governments get out of their way!?!?!?!
When are people going to rise up and demand that governments get out of their way!?!?!?!
“Derocher said the bears can be very unpredictable. Sometimes they are simply curious when confronted by humans, but other times they may be hungry and searching for food”.
Polar bears are extremely aggressive, even more so than Grizzlies, and they’ll often attack on sight, whether or not they’re hungry. You might get lucky with pepper spray, but a gun is a safer bet, and a large caliber gun at that (as Robert Ruark would say ‘use enough gun’).
Sure and the idiot drug crazed meth and crack addicts in the cities who would do anything to get a fix are harmless. Just looking for a little fun!
It’s a step in the right direction.
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