So what are the new regulations? I'd be curious to know what they are, so that I like other readers could have a more informed opinion on whether they are good regulations or not.

From my perspective I like wild life alive, so that I can enjoy viewing them in their natural habitat. Some people will shot anything that they can legally or illegally... regulations are to prevent those types of people from abusing the right to hunt.

Personally I don't buy the nuisance predator argument, because nature has its own way of balancing these things out... lets just say its about the thrill to kill because it connects a person to their heritage and allows for bragging rights for the beast they owned. Its an argument that may not sell, but its the truth IMO. If one eats all the meat and utilizes the animal... than possibly the hunt has more utility then just nostalgia and ego, but that is not what the debate is about.

I think if Grizzlies are deemed to be over populating a specific area, than yes the British Columbia resident should have the first crack at them through a draw that limits the hunt time period, methods (ie bow hunting only (more violent, but evens the odds making it a real hunt)), locations, and total harvest.

I am opposed to guide outfit hunting in BC for tourists no matter how much money it brings in for guide outfitters. Tourists should only be allowed to shot pictures and not our trophy animals... period as far as I'm concerned. I think if we banned tourists from hunting in BC we would find the eco-tourism market grow, rather than shrink, as we would be able to better market and sell our natural product from an ethical standpoint.

Opening up trophy hunting at the expense of residential hunting is narrow minded and hurts everyone involved other than the tourists ego.

Also I have a new black bear friend that visits every morning for his left overs. He has a white V on his chest and can be found milling around the Foothills Hart area.. about a year old he is and well behaved. He's one of the good ones, so if people could leave him alone that would be great. I'd post pictures of him (if I could), so he could be better identified lol. Just saying they are not all bad like some people make them out to be.

Eagleone, you are misguided in your opinion and actions. Abear is a wild animal that can do you harm and your case anyone else in the vicinity of your bear feeding station. Any animal that recieves handouts will eventually become agressive as is their nature. Just look at down town PG. As far as utilizing the animal (eating it) that is a waste not want not christian notion. Earth and its inhabitants will always consume protien. As it is now , if you happen to go where bears live,we are over run with black bears and grizzly sightings are up in the past decade, as this increases the ECO

........ECO tourists had better arm them selves as they go out on their voyeristic treks.

I agree if you are going to go near bears in the wild you should be armed if you plan to spook them in their territory. They are wild animals.

As for the bear in my back yard... I throw left overs out into the bush to compost... but for the most part its the berry bushes, bird feeders, cherry trees, and apple trees in my yard (I've never had a garbage bin problem)... so its kind of a super market for all sorts of wild life. They all come and go at some point during the day... a fox, a bear, the squirrels, the birds and my neighbors tell me there was even a cougar around here last year (I have a sling shot if he returns). My yard is open to greenbelt, so its easy access, and I have no problem with the wild life visitors.

you probably don't have kids or pets either

"British Columbia's Bear Smart Community Program

Living with Bears and Coping with Conflict

Every year hundreds, and in some years well over a thousand, bears are destroyed as a result of conflicts between people and bears. In rare instances, people are also injured or even killed as a result of these conflicts. Most of these problems begin when people allow bears to access non-natural food sources such as garbage."

Eagle one you are the worst offender for harming wildlife ...you are teaching these critters to expect handouts from Humans ... you are going to get someone killed when a bear/bear hell even a deer turns violent and attacks someone that doesnt feed it ...I think you should locked up for cruelty to animals .... because it eco shitheads like yourself that have no clue on wild animal management


Go to the library and pick up a copy of "Political Incorrect Guide to hunting"
If your mind is even somewhat open you will realize that the typical seirra club, animal activist type actually does more harm to wildlife than the typical hunter

Eagleone, so what your saying is you are intentionally putting food scraps out in your compost to attract the bear to your home for your viewing pleasure!! I'm sure your neighbors are pleased to have a bear roaming the neighborhood and putting them at risk.

A fed bear is a dead bear. Congratulations, Timothy Treadwell, er, Eagleone. I can only hope your pet bear eats you before you can do any more damage.

Grizzly hunting will never be a sport of kings for me - I`ll kill any bear, black, grizzly or otherwise that won`t run at the sight of me. Thats how it has always been and unfortunately the only way bears can ever live in harmony with humans. If you don`t like it, stay in your basement and watch Bambi.

I have bears come into my yard and also our workplace. I also have kids and pets and having had an Aunt that lived in Jasper when the bears roamed the townsite I was trained and have trained my kids that although the bears are nice to look at (from a safe spot) they are wild animals. I feel sorry each time I see a young bear go through my yard as I know it will be shot. So lesson number one - never leave food out! With this rule even at the workplace the bear just ambles through or sits in the tree and watches the machines work.

Has anyone heard of a bear attack in PG? When a bear shows up its blown away, but I have not heard of any attacks. Now each year there are a couple of serious moose attisacks but that is almost treated as a joke. When a moose shows up all that is done is told to be careful. Why are not moose blown away seems to be more dangerous than bears. I believe I now one reason, blowing away a moose is not as manly as blowing away a bear.

Opinion250 has been contacted by the Conservation office in Prince George, and asked that we pass along this information:
*****
Putting out attractants to view a young black bear is illegal.
I am sure that I do not need to emphasize the dangers that this creates to the general public about a food habituated bear roaming the area.It is an offense under the Wildlife Act to feed dangerous wildlife or to deposit a substance to attract dangerous wildlife.
Someone could get hurt.
Anyone with information on activities like this is encouraged to call me, or to report it to 1-877-952-7277.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Rob Groeger
Conservation Officer
Omineca Region - Prince George Zone
Phone 250-565-6418

*********

thats is correct I forgot about Baiting Bear is illegal in BC (Its legal to hunt bear over bait in most other jurisdictions in Canada)

Thanx for that Reminder Ben/Rob

hmm and why do you need to blowaway a Grizzly again? I remember when i was young out east many,Grizzly were shot near Penny and LongWorth areas.

Then during 1977-1996 it was a rare treat to see one in that area.
I was up the RedMan Mountain 2 weeks ago and we seen one! So i wonder where are these stats showing a huge stock?

Locals from McGregor,SinclairMills, longworth and Penny tell me stocks are not very strong.

Can the Conservation Office shed stats for us?
Thank You

Bears are like Penquins. From a distance they look cute. Up close they stink. Penquins wander around in a sea of shit. People who track Penquin herds now use satelite tracking. They locate the huge brown stains (shit) on the ice caps, and from that they can determine how many herds, etc; there are.

So bears stink. When they get into human garbage they stink worse. When they start to come into Citys they should be shot. So should Cougers. These animals are a danger to Humans, and especially to kids.

There was a time when bears, and cougers were afraid of humans, however they are becoming less so every day. One reason is that they are being shot at less.

If you are a bear lover, then why in the Hell would you allow a University to be built in bear and moose country. Why would you allow shopping centres, and housing developments to be built in bear and moose habitat. By reducing bear and moose habitat, we are killing off these animals.

Seems to me that we have a little hypocracy here.

Only a fool would shoot at a cougar with a slingshot (it is not ethical either as the animal may be seriously injured). Also, it is more serious knavery to suggest you know what makes another person or group of people tick. Eagleone, you dont know why people like to hunt. Your speculation on their motives (always an attempt to smear and belittle them) is portrayed as fact but is ignorance (how could it be otherwise) or slander.
While eagle may have left himself open for some abuse (by feeding the bears) it isnt really reason to wish him eaten or otherwise abused. The real issue is the drive by some people to ban grizzly bear hunting based on religion rather that hard science. Today it is bears, tomorrow the argument will shift to another species, then another until we are left defending our right to hunt at all. Lets concentrate on fighting the nonsense being forwarded by some people (ie that people hunt to feel manly, and because they like killing things, or that killing game animals is wrong (civilized folk only eat meat that comes in a freezer pack), etc.)
It is a shame that Ben, and others feel the need to defend the right of Canadians to hunt. I understand why he feels that way. It is a slap in the face of freedom that people in this country must defend their rights against encroachment by activists and zealots. Unfortunately it accomplishes nothing to provide factual evidence regarding conservation because the people trying to ban the hunt are largely NOT interested in facts.

Any time you have a problem, give it to the government. They will mess it up really good. When bears come to my house I shoots em and drags em out to the wolves with an ATV. No more problem.

I didn't say I was against hunting or that I intentionally feed bears. I am against tourists coming here to trophy hunt, and so should every hunter in BC that wants to have game to hunt in the future. I just think tourist are better off shooting pictures and not guns in BC and BC would have a more ethical image if that was the way it was.

Its not a thin edge to oppose tourist hunting... its the thin edge to accept this practice, because soon the family hunter in BC would not be able to compete with the price a foreigner is willing to pay our government to hunt our game for us.

The BC government is about profits for the bureaucracy and their entitlements they need to sustain... the BC government is not about your rights, or the opportunities of its citizens if a foreigner has more cash... you can take that to your tax assessment... whether it be hunting, buying crown lands, or simply getting access to resources. Its all looked at through the same lens of profits for the civil service.

The bear with the V that visits my back yard simply finds food in my yard (remembers the location of the berries and apple/cherry trees) that is mostly natural like it could find anywhere... the fact that it finds left overs in my compost from time to time is a bonus for a scavenger that scavenges for that stuff naturally. Its never felt the need to go near my garbage can and always stays above the retaining wall, so I have no problem with a bear doing what bears do as it covers its territory for the brief time it passes through my yard. I actually gave the neighborhood kids bear awareness training the other day by telling them (from a safe distance) not to try and go around it in the bush (stay away from the bush if you know the bear is around), not to spook it with excited screams or talk, give it lots of space and always allow it the easiest escape route possible... but most importantly don't go near it, don't make eye contact with it, or get in its path where it is going. Better to learn these things from someone who knows, than to find out the hard way on their own someday.

Facts are bears are everywhere in PG and a person doesn't need to 'bait' them to get them coming around in and through your yard. I can't say how many times I've seen bears as far into town as Spruceland at dust sneaking down streets where people are walking their dogs and the dogs don't even realize a bear is less then a 100 feet away until the dog walker is told about the bear hiding from them only feet away. Bears naturally avoid people from a natural fear of the unknown people represent to them. As I write I would estimate there are a dozen or more bears wandering side streets throughout the city without no one being the wiser (you could never say that of a moose). Its why no one has ever been able to show me a single incidence of a black bear attacking a human within city limits.

Humans also have a fear of the unknown bred by ignorance of how to interact with or even be aware of the wildlife.

As for the sling shot it works great from the porch with pin point accuracy to adjust behavior in unwanted guests. I've only had to use it once (stalking my cat), but balls of wax work great because they don't injure, but they feel it and the accuracy is excellent I've found. Cougars will run for the hills once they are found out and get a love tap from a distance. If it saves a cat, or a dog, or even a child it is well worth having around. A knife does you no good if you have distance to close in an emergency. If it needs to be brought to the next level well then its dirty business, but I realize respect for animals can only go so far, and a person deals with it. As a truck driver its not like I haven't had to drag a dead carcass off the road before... and I always stop for that too... almost weekly.

That said, believe it or not my 5 pound cat puts the run on the bear just by appearing in the yard... I have pictures of that too. Bears will run from the sight of a house cat because they don't want trouble for the most part, and would like nothing more than a few berries and maybe an apple on the ground before they move along.

SO, you think (key word) that you are some sort of expert by doing this!!!

"I actually gave the neighborhood kids bear awareness training the other day by telling them (from a safe distance) not to try and go around it in the bush (stay away from the bush if you know the bear is around), not to spook it with excited screams or talk, give it lots of space and always allow it the easiest escape route possible... but most importantly don't go near it, don't make eye contact with it, or get in its path where it is going. Better to learn these things from someone who knows, than to find out the hard way on their own someday."

This is the complete opposite of what you should do!!! Anyone will tell you that to avoid bear encounters you have to let the bear know you are there, make noise and be confronting if you see a bear. All you are doing is put the kids at risk with your misinformation. By doing the actions you mention is just making the bear even more habituated to people and losing its fear of people!!!. The only thing I will agree upon with you is the need to give it room to run away. What you are doing is just going to get this bear killed. Why don't you just call the Conservation Officer and turn yourself in now. I'm sure that they want to deal with a bear after its attacked someone or broke into someones house, there is a reason why no one in PG has been hurt yet,its because the CO's have to shoot the bears before they become a problem. Its people like you that are the root of the problem by putting out attractants and casuing bears to get shot. You should be ashamed of what you are doing but apparently you think its fine.

You have no idea what you are talking about... teach kids to yell and make noise to scare bears... thats crazy talk. If you are unsure a bear is around and don't want to spook the bear, then the best thing is to cling a rock on a glass bottle, or two pieces of metal, or something unatural like that which isn't alarming to the bear.

The last thing a person wants to do is walk through the bush yelling and yelping like a wounded scared dog thinking it protects them from wild animals. That just shows the bear fear... acting calm makes the bear think, rather than react, and is the safest way to control the situation... it gives the bear the time it needs to think of a way out, which it will always do if it has a chance. Only if a bear shows aggression should a person enhance their posture and voice to try and intimidate the bear, otherwise its best not to excite the situation especially if its children that come across one. A bear will run from a spoon and a tin cup long before it will run from someone yelling at it.

Oh, I do know what I am talking about, I teach people this for a living. If I don't know the right answer then I don't comment. Obviously your not that type of person. I feel sorry for this poor animal as it will obviously meet an untimely death due to your actions.

Eagle, i see a little of my point being made in your response. You suggest we would be seen as more 'ethical' by limiting hunting to BC residents. There isnt any ethics involved. How is it more ethical for a resident to pop a bear than for a tourist? Unless.... we are going to have that rediculous trophy hunting rant again. As far as i know, bear tags or lotteries are not sold and getting one does not require riches. I for one would not support any move to favour guides or the tourists they guide. However, i dont see excluding them either. I do worry, however, that arguments against 'rich foreigners' and the like will be used to gather support for hunting bans. Such bans, even if they were intended to be temporary and used only in specifc cases, will be used as precidents for future restrictions of Canadians rights to hunt.
Just to add my two bits, it ought to be said that MOST black bears will run from humans, or will not be interested in them. This does not apply to all black bears. They can be both aggressive and fearless, though i have found this to be more the case further out in the bush. It is best to avoid them where at all possible.

Thats an interesting take on the issues Caranmacil.

I think we can agree that under no circumstances should a tourist have any favoritism over a local hunter simply because they are willing to pay more cash to the bureaucracy to hunt. The draws should be equal opportunity at minimum regardless of revenue generation for government. If that was the starting point of the debate I could live with that.

I'm not sure however if I can agree that limiting tourists from hunting would create a precedence to limit BC residents from hunting in BC. The BC hunter can argue it is a natural inherent right, where as the tourist can not by any stretch make that qualification. IMO tourists that come here to kill our wildlife are not much better than poachers and terrorists in our woods. I might be in the minority on that view point though, but thats how I see it.

I used to hunt myself,but gave it up because I felt it was a waste of a good animal, because I'm one that doesn't enjoy wild game meat, and I preferred to see them live rather than die simply so I could have some bragging rights. Since turning to the camera I find hunting for the picture much more challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding.