Go give Yogi a hug

How about offering an alternative. Release a couple of our favourite murders in the area and hunt them instead. Lets see how brave the hunters are then! (Same rules. Hunters are allowed to keep and mount the trophy, anyway they want).

Politicians caving in to pressure from the Left, that's all this news is about.
I am not interested in trophy hunting at all, I hunt for the meat, and only if I need it, but I am against our government giving in to pressure from special interest groups. Has anyone other than the save the planet brigade been asked for an opinion on whether or not we should ban anything? I have not. This is the (continuing) thin edge of the wedge, they won't stop at Grizzly & Kermode bears, you wait and see.
metalman.

I agree with metalman.
First Nations are a major part of the push
behind this ban as well as bear huggers.
Does that mean that they themselves will not hunt bears,black or Grizzly in the closed areas on the north and central coast?
No bears or hunting at all?
Does it mean they will not hunt in the Great Bear Rain Forest period?
Who does this ban actually apply too?
Everyone of us?
And what about jobs the industry provides for guides,assistant guides,boat operators etc.?
Some of these people are first nations who do these jobs,so does the employment the industry provides not matter?
Hunting is a viable and sustainable industry when managed properly,and for the most part here in B.C.,it is.
Take away the revenue that comes from hunting and who pays for conservation in B.C.?
Why do jobs that guided hunting provides not matter?

On the news last night they showed the so called trophy hunters shooting a bear. Roflmao, they shot that bear 5 times all over its body. It was a slaughter which ruined the pelt. This is ridiculous and our provincial government should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such barbaric methods which only decimate the largest of the species. Studies are now proving this to be an asinine practice which creates smaller offspring for the future. I agree with hunting for food only. There is to much needless killing where meat is left behind that could feed many starving people.

Sure, we will let them overpopulate themselves, they get hungry and start interacting in the communities, and start killing humans. and then what.

To many bleeding hearts out there.

not many people eat bears. What side of your mouth would you cry out off when a black bear or grizzly comes into your town and eats your mother, daughter or son. There has to be some reason to all of this. Less hunting has caused more trouble in the rural areas with people and domesticate livestock being killed or injuried. Myself having lived on a farm I would still live by the old rule on the farm. If it looks like it could bother the farm routine [killing the livestock] shoot it. Most of the boys on the farm can shoot the bullseye at a 100 yards .

Just look at what is happening in Ontario since they banned the spring bear hunt.
The bear population has increased big time to where its now causeing problems around the communities,plus the loss of jobs the outfitters provided for the guided hunts.Toronto is alot like Victoria,They think they know whats best for the rest of the province. Maybe if they were to drop of a couple dozen live trapped bears in down town Victoria they would get the picture.

metalman: squeaky wheels get greased. Special interest groups squeak, a lot. The trouble is that if your are not part of a special interest group (SIG), you will not squeak near enough to counter the SIG.
You expressed disenchantment with this ruling. Did you at any time express in a public forum or directly to a principle drafter of the legislation.

I too enjoy hunting. That is not say that I enjoy killing. Rather it is being away from the urban environment to appreciate the natural world. I do not agree with most of the laws and regulations being passed that further limit outdoor activities. The however on this is there are so boneheads, idiots and poachers out there. Laws are not normally enacted until some pinhead screws it up for every one else.

As to population management, most of everyone's statements are bang on. Regardless of the that, it is the law makers that most be made aware. It is not going to happen though, because politicians have advisers who are supposed to be experts in there field. They just have no concept of holistic systems. No, I am not talking about new age healing. No part of a system can function in isolation. It is the myriad interconnections between entities that create systems and the "Eco" system is just that, a system. We are still creating laws to address specific issues and often these specific issues are managed. Very few realize how affecting a single event or entity in a system impacts the rest of the system members. When an effect on a system is realized, more laws are created to address those individual needs, and so on.

Regulate trophy hunting and regulate it well,of course,but eliminating it altogether would be an ecological disaster eventually.
No hunting is pretty, but why is going out and shooting a moose with a small rack any prettier than shooting one with a big rack and calling it trophy hunting?
What's the difference between killing a small bear as opposed to a big bear?
They are both dead.
Might as well do away with all hunting rather than pick and choose.
It's all killing,and like trapping, it is a fact of life here in B.C.and all over the world.
They are both viable industries.
Both have their place, as distasteful as it may be to some.
It also provides a lot of people with a decent living.
You do what you do, and nobody should have to apologize for that.
Why is paying a guide any uglier than any of us going out on the weekend and whacking an animal that we bought a tag for?
All it really means is that we live here and the "trophy" hunter doesn't.

I see nothing wrong with this. BC is a big place and I see no reason we can not have a protected area for these animals to maintain their populations to live like wild bears. It diversifies the tourism economy and makes good ecological sense.

It is the arrogance of the European that thinks nature has just got to have the all knowing, all seeing great white man to "manage" nature or it's all just going to fall apart.... never mind that the evidence says something all together counter to that: Everywhere the European has gone the European has done nothing but screw up the natural systems, this is a fact. Canada, the U.S., Australia, etc. everywhere the european shows up nothing follows but the death of the native people, the extinction of the area's wildlife and all done because the culture of white people is the worship of death, not life. White people prefer money over everything living, this fact is sooo obvious it's pathetic there are still so many in denial about it. Every single time a european culture is given a choice between the preservation of life or the pursuit of money(=death) the European chooses death... every single time!

It's also funny as hell that posters above talk about "special interest groups" as though a logging company is not a special interest group!!! God, you guys crack me up! When you agree with a group trying manipulate the system they are the good guys but when a group tries to pursue a policy that is not to your liking they are a "special interest group". And you have no clue how clueless your positions are, do you? Please allow me to enlighten you: anyone who organizes in order to pursue certain policies is a special interest group. In light of this truth which special interest group has dominated both the economics and politics of this province? Who has gotten their way more, the logging industry or the Sierra Club? The mining industry or Greenpeace? Special
interest groups come in all stripes, you just don't like when the special interest group you support loses.

Not only is this a good idea it's not nearly enough. If the European greed machine is not stopped it will destroy this planet utterly. Only the delusional deny this truth at this point in human history.

(P.S. - I'm both European and an ex-hunter)

Anyone notice how warm and fuzzy we have been getting since the university arrived.

kevin1006 WOW chill out dude. I suggest you read up on the history of other world cultures including our own natives on how they have treated each other. It wasen't all harmony by any means. Being a white Saxon male, you are making me feel so guilty.

Jeez..kevin1006...chill bud,chill!
You are at about a stress level 10...we need you at about a 6 or 7 to comprehend!

kevin1006: Well said.
I ran across an old issue of National Geographic awhile back and i it was an article detailing what occurred when the first white settlers arrived near what is now New York.
When they arrived, there were small settlements surrounded by modest unfenced fields of crops, no fences. There were also unused settlements scattered around with fields in fallow for several years. The inhabitants were vigorous, well fed and healthy and content with life.

Within a year, the European settlers had fenced much of the area, some of their imported stock animals had escaped and gone Ferrell to the detriment of the local flora and fauna, and the original inhabitants caught European diseases for which they had no immunity.

Within five years the original population had been devastated by disease and were having trouble growing and gathering food. The intense European farming methods depleted the soil, the hack and slash clearing caused erosion, and the foreign animals virtually pushed out the local animals.

The turned an idyllic verdant area into a wasteland.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I agree completely Eagleone...there is room for both protected and non-protected areas.
That makes good ecological sense and everyone wins!

Obviously a divisive topic. Andyfreeze,
could you back up your statement that eliminating trophy hunting would be an ecological disaster. I really fail to see how letting nature take care of itself could qualify as a disaster, it managed just fine for quite a while before humans came along.
What if bears started coming into communities to kill people? For the most part bears avoid people, even in high bear population areas. Ever been in the McGregors in the summer? LOTS of grizzlies,
not alot of dead folks. Certainly if a bear becomes a danger to yourself or family
you can be expected to defend yourself. Do
I think bears are dangerous animals that deserve a healthy respect? You bet. Do I think that humans are far more dangerous & I am far more likely to die at the hands of my fellow man. You better believe it. The harshest & stiffest competition any species will ever face is from it's own kind.

I can't wait to post my spring blackbear photos here.

"And what about jobs the industry provides for guides,assistant guides,boat operators etc.?"

The majority of today's great white Safari Hunters shoot with their cameras rather than their guns. If we were to switch more of the so-called trophy hunting to that, the money generated from that would increase many times the money presently spent by a few hunters since a trophy can be shot over and over again and there are more people with lots of money who will go in with cameras than with guns. One simply has to advertise the "hunt" differently.

But then, old ways die hard.

http://www.canadaphotosafaris.com

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=photo-safaris-enviro-friendly-hunting-trips

detoe43,carefully controlled and monitored hunting of any species can be a benefit through reducing numbers, as weird as that may sound.
Any animal population that increases to the point where they start to compete with each other for food faces disaster and a serious decline in numbers, as I am sure you know.
We usually say that this is mother nature's way of dealing with over-population, but that is not always a good thing, nor is it necessary.
We also don't hunt black bears as much as we used to because of the stigma attached to it now,and their numers have increased in most areas.
There is nothing more dangerous or unpredictable than than a very hungry black bear.
Personally,I don't like them and few less would be a good thing.
Grizzly are most times quite shy and in many cases,more predictable than blacks,unless of course,they too are hungry or have cubs.
They tend to mind their own business if they can.
Give them room to run and they will run 90%of the time.
Of course,the other 10 percent of the time when they don't run...you have a big problem.
Blacks have been known to come looking for you or your dog or your kids.
Hunting,trophy or otherwise, can lead to healthier animals of any species, provided it is done properly with close monitoring.
There is no need to eliminate hunting of any bears because their populations are not in trouble.
Declare them off limits and I am willing to bet they would end up in trouble, given the limited range they now have.

Posted by: gus on March 18 2009 2:27 PM
"And what about jobs the industry provides for guides,assistant guides,boat operators etc.?"

The majority of today's great white Safari Hunters shoot with their cameras rather than their guns. If we were to switch more of the so-called trophy hunting to that, the money generated from that would increase many times the money presently spent by a few hunters since a trophy can be shot over and over again and there are more people with lots of money who will go in with cameras than with guns. One simply has to advertise the "hunt" differently.

But then, old ways die hard."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The majority of today's great white Safari Hunters shoot with their cameras rather than their guns."

You don't say their eh Gus. Post your sources.

"If we were to switch more of the so-called trophy hunting"

"Switch" you say Gus? Why would we have to switch Gus? Don't you approve of those "other" type of humans that hunt?
Is it against you personal morals Gus?
Whats wrong with hunting Gus? Please inform us.

"the money generated from that would increase many times the money presently spent by a few hunters"

You don't say their eh Gus. Again... post your sources.

"a trophy can be shot over and over again"

With proper game management many trophy's can be taken over and over by hunters as well Gus.
It doesn't really matter what you think to the contrary Gus, but hunters, whether they are there for the meat or a trophy play a very important/vital role in wildlife conservation Gus.
Hunting whether for meat or trophy has always been in existance and always will be.

"there are more people with lots of money who will go in with cameras than with guns."

Really Gus where do I get a crystal ball like the one you are using?

"One simply has to advertise the "hunt" differently."

Maybe you and your kind can get an ad put together that says The people of the world no longer have to put up with those filthy hunters. You can have a photo of a hunter hanging by his/her ankles from a tree beside a deer or a bear, (that ones for you eagle) or perhaps even some little girl with a camera and a skinning knife gutting out the waste of skin hunter.

Wait a minute .... there are already ads such as these being distributed around the world by people that think like all you holier than thou, anti anything you don't like, bearhugging, tree loving, going to save the world if it's the last thing you do......peta type of people.

Freaking SEA KITTENS. Please give the rest of the normal humans that keep their big noses out of other peoples business or pleasures or whatever the hell... a break!

What part of get a life don't they understand?

Andyfreeze
What do you mean by "given the limited range they now have.'

There are more bears everywhere you go these days than there used to be. Don't really agree when you say there is a limited range.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on March 18 2009 7:12 AM
How about offering an alternative. Release a couple of our favourite murders in the area and hunt them instead. Lets see how brave the hunters are then! (Same rules. Hunters are allowed to keep and mount the trophy, anyway they want).

You're such a dork polecat!

In many areas bears are dealing with a reduced range because of logging,construction,roads,etc.
Obviously that does nor apply to the Great Bear....so far.
It does apply to areas like metro Vancouver where black bears are literally living in peoples back yards along with coyotes and foxes.
And those are the only bears that most people ever see.
Those bears are addicted to garbage,aside from the fact that they are just plain hungry.

lostfaith you are sure proud about your killing. You sure showed us. You're not even half the man of a real hunter... and not even a little boy in your maturity level.

Did Lostfaith hit a nerve poor little boy?

If you insist on your name calling and insults eagle we will have to meet for coffee. you know face to face.
Pussy!

Is that a threat or a promise?

Wow, this opinion forum sure is a good place to slag your fellow man. Kevin1006 sure has it all together;(
metalman.

I never make threats eagle I send invitations

Well invite away.. that still isn't going to make you a man. If you think you can be scary with your invitations, than it just shows how immature you really are. I don't scare... I ignore to a point....

If you're going to blog, then stick to the topic and learn to respect that other people aren't always going to agree with you (you are the one with the name calling in case you haven't noticed)... otherwise there is no shortage of people that would step in the ring with a guy like you if thats the game you want to play....

Jeez lostfaith, mellow out. All that stress & anger is going to kill you. To
belabour a point, if someone has a differing viewpoint let them express it.
That's what living in a free society means.
As you & Andyfreeze both expressed your opinion that trophy hunters play a vital role in wildlife conservation. Can you back this up? Post some sources as I remain unconvinced.
As for bears , in all the years I've spent hiking, skiing, climbing, biking & yes even hunting, the animal that I fear the most for unpredictability is the moose.
I've had numerous bear encounters (both grizzlies & blacks) & luckily so far haven't had any bad encounters. Not to say it can't or won't happen though.

Grizzlies are somewhat herbivorous from May to September. Although they will kill ground squirrels. By October, they will eat anything, including humans.