Grizzly Bear Problems in British Columbia are Accelerating

AmmoLand ^ | January 6, 2026 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Hunting of Ursus Arctos (grizzly bears/brown bears) was banned in British Columbia on December 18, 2017.  At the time, opponents of the hunting ban warned there would be increasing bear/human conflicts. From British Columbia Wildlife Federation executive director Jesse Zeman:

“When the hunt was closed, we predicted that over time human-grizzly conflicts would increase, but we also know that bears that learn bad behaviors teach those same behaviors to their offspring,” said Zeman. “This will keep getting worse until science-based wildlife management is reinstated.”

Over the last ten years, Ursus arctos/human conflicts in British Columbia have doubled, from approximately 300-500 per year before the ban to almost 1,000 per year after the ban. This is the same pattern observed worldwide, as large predator populations are often overprotected.

The populations grow, spread, and come into conflict with humans. The predators have not learned to fear humans because hunting is either banned or severely limited. The aggressive predators are not selected out of the population by hunters. Prior to the attack on a large group of school children in Bella Coola, problems with Ursus arctos (grizzly/brown) bears had been increasing for some time.

Here are examples: From CityNews.ca:

“And what had happened is that a grizzly — it looks like a sow and her two almost full-grown cubs — had gone in and found the fridge and dragged the fridge actually halfway out and across the bed and everything else.”

The animals had completely demolished the kitchen.

“I’m talking counters, cupboards, drawers, glasses, plates, and everything else,” she said.

The couple also has a trailer on the same property, and Munro says the damage there was even worse than in the house.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; bc; bear; bearrepublic; bears; bearsrepeating; britishcolumbia; canada; grizzly; grizzlybear; grizzlybears; righttoarmbears; thingsiworryabout; unbearable

[marktwain]

When large predators are over protected, they lose fear of people and become a problem.

People familiar with bears predicted this outcome.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Anyone who knows these large bears can see similarities between them and some people in places like on public transportation, fast food restaurants, and Carnival Cruises. They will take what they want and you can do nothing to stop them. Unless you’re the police.

[JBW1949]

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

[Red Badger]

I blame Disney................

[marktwain]

Disney deserves much blame.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Wherever bears are treated as a protected species, they start to treat humans as a regular food source.

[Red Badger]

We’ve banned bear hunting so long in Florida we now have bears coming out of the woods into the urban areas, and we can’t shoot them!................

[Savage Beast]

"Hunting of Ursus Arctos (grizzly bears/brown bears) was banned in British Columbia on December 18, 2017. At the time, opponents of the hunting ban warned there would be increasing bear/human conflicts."

Only a moron could not see that.

[PIF]

If you interfere with the bear’s activities, you will be jailed for racism.

[dfwgator]

What would Brian Boitano do?

[alternatives?]

Women should feel safer.

[Disambiguator]

On top of all that, Canada frowns on handguns, so carrying a .44 Mag or other large caliber revolver is not an option.

[Hyman Roth]

Come on man. Gov officials and environmentalists know everything. /s

[DannyTN]

Grizzly Bear Problems.... you just don’t realize what it’s like to walk in the paws of a Grizzly Bear.