British Columbia Bear Hunting Ban Not what it Seems

AmmoLand ^ | January 17, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On December 18, 2017, the Canadian Province of British Columbia banned hunting of grizzly bears, except by indigenous tribes. It appears to be a natural experiment that will help determine the effects of grizzly bear hunting practices. Tribes known as “First Nations” are allowed to kill bears. The exact effect of the ban is not clear or precise. Taltan hunters still hunt the bears, but they are not killing enough of them.

But when the B.C. government banned the grizzly bear trophy hunt in 2017, the system was thrown out of whack. While the Tahltan could still hunt for food, social and ceremonial purposes, sport hunting, which took about 100 bears a year from the territory, was strictly prohibited. 

Since the ban, members of the Tahltan have reported increasing numbers of grizzlies in their territory, which spans nearly 100,000 square kilometres, Day said. Community members have also reported that those bears are becoming more aggressive toward humans. More grizzlies also means fewer fish and ungulates, important food sources for the community, according to Day.

The Tahltan aims to kill 100 grizzly bears, 150 black bears, and 250 wolves.

The Tahltan territory is about 11% of British Columbia. The “ban on hunting” is not much of a ban in a territory where the residents have a $1,000 incentive to kill grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are difficult to hunt and kill, so the $1,000 incentive is needed.  It is unknown how many other tribes regularly kill grizzly bears or how much territory is covered. It appears grizzly bears have been significantly devalued in Tahltan territory. Outside hunters formerly paid $15,000 or more for the privilege of hunting and killing a trophy grizzly bear.

[marktwain]

Harvesting about 4-5% of a bear population each year is sustainable. When large boar bears are harvested, more cubs survive. The greatest predator of bear cubs is mature male bears.

[HighSierra5]

The only good bear is a dead bear.

[riverrunner]

Bears are not much of a problem when one can properly control them.

A one can kill off the excess and problem.

[BitWielder1]

So the ban on trophy hunting deprived the natives of a source of income.
What's wrong with selling licenses to some rich out-of-towners? As long as we keep count.

Let's face it, we are part of the ecosystem now. When you remove a major predator (humans), the bear population will explode.
We have replaced famine and disease as killers of wildlife, that is a good thing.
Now it's up to us to do the job that must be done, which is fine, since we know how to hunt responsibly.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[guest7]

"What's wrong with selling licenses to some rich out-of-towners? As long as we keep count."

Nothing. That's what normal people would do. You're not dealing with normal people.

The good people of B.C. should bring in the anti-gun crowd to show them how to safely control the bear population.

Other than that, all you gun clubs keep sending your "Bells and Pepper Spray"; to the Taltan Tribe of B.C.

[Taxman]

The money quote: “The ban on grizzly hunting is a philosophical statement. It is funded by people who do not have to live with the consequences of their actions.”