# spring bear in ontario



## brohymn2 (Apr 12, 2010)

Sweet, too bad I don't live in nwo anymore :-(


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## AdamBerg (Jan 21, 2013)

I am really excited, took my first bear this fall and get another crack at one upcoming spring. We have a few too many walking around our property.


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## Michael Myers (Nov 13, 2008)

i have a feeling it will only benefit outfitters or the goverment...They need to re-instate the whole spring season,its a disgrace it was closed.I cant understand why they havent re-opened it,you would think the goverment would be begging for money another way..All they do is raise prices every year on Game tags but they cant patrol any of the areas i have hunted for 7 years.They need to get there head out of there behind and make some changes.I dont have a problem paying any price for game tags but i want the Mnr to do there job and try to stop a few tresspassers,road warriors and poachers..7 Years without being stopped by a Co...Sad..In my opinion...Grizz


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## crazymoose (May 17, 2005)

Re-open the whole season.
Bring life back to Northern Ontario. 
I'm sure the Northern communities could benefit from 70-100 million dollars of generated revenue annually.


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## rmarchand (Aug 15, 2013)

newest rumour is they have, or may be recinding that decision already.... I'll keep you posted if I hear more.


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## rdneckhillbilly (Jan 25, 2010)

Good read I wanted to share....

_Why the spring bear hunt must be reinstated
The following is a letter sent by Dr. Terry Quinney, Provincial Manager of Fish and Wildlife for the O.F.A.H., to various media outlets regarding the spring bear hunt.

Dear Editor:

The following material may be used as an open letter to the editor, or it may well serve as an opinion column in your publication. Please feel free to use this material to help give perspective to the issue of the spring bear hunt in Ontario. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the author.

WHY THE SPRING BEAR HUNT MUST BE REINSTATED

The spring bear hunt was a wildlife management tool that provided biological, social and economic benefits. The spring hunt reduced bear densities, particularly of male bears, and helped control the size of the bear population. This reduced cannibalism by male bears, reduced competition among bears for food, reduced the numbers of deer fawns and moose calves preyed upon by bears, and reduced nuisance bear problems, thereby protecting public safety and reducing the costs to society of nuisance bear controls.

Absence of a spring hunt has resulted in more nuisance bears in spring and summer because there are more bears in the population, and more cannibalistic male bears in the woods that other bears try to avoid. These other bears must seek food in other areas, such as near towns. Berry crops failures worsen these effects. These factors explain the unprecedented number of nuisance bear problems that the province is now experiencing, including the unprecedented number of bears being shot as nuisances, unprecedented number of orphan cubs appearing at wildlife rehabilitation centers, and unprecedented number of bears being trapped and “relocated.” (Ministry of Natural Resources [M.N.R.] published information states that trapping/relocation as a nuisance bear management tool has a failure rate of 80% for adult bears.)

A recent M.N.R. study indicates that there are up to 150,000 black bears in Ontario. During the spring hunt, about 4,000 bears were harvested every spring. Thus, by this summer (2002), 16,000 more bears are in the population because there has been no spring hunt since 1998, and the fall harvest of bears has not increased to compensate for the loss of the spring hunt.

According to M.N.R. information, at least 10,000 cubs die every year for reasons that have nothing to do with hunting. (Starvation and cannibalism are the largest sources of cub mortality.) The best estimate of cubs accidentally orphaned by hunters (it was illegal for hunters to kill sows with cubs) published by an M.N.R. bear biologist, was less than 27 per year. But as a direct result of the cancellation of the spring bear hunt, up to 2,500 more cubs are dying each year. In other words, in a purported effort to save about 25 cubs from accidental hunter error, the government's cancellation of the hunt has directly caused up to one hundred times more cubs than that to die each year.

The absence of a spring bear hunt has caused significant negative consequences for people as well as bears. From government economic data, we estimated that the impact of Ontario's spring bear hunt for the 12-year period (1987 to 1998) included an overall sales impact of between $350 - $500 million, 2,600 - 3,600 years of employment, and the participation of 90,000 - 100,000 hunters. The spring hunt was worth over $46 million in 1996 alone, and was an important contribution to the economy of northern Ontario in the spring. When the spring hunt was cancelled in 1999, there were about 600 outfitter businesses providing services to about 8,000 customers annually. These outfitters, in turn, depended on other businesses for goods and services such as fuel, equipment, etc. Additionally, in 1996 alone, municipal, provincial and federal governments collected almost $4 million in taxes directly attributable to the spring bear hunt. Bankruptcy, job loss, and personal tragedy have been the legacy of the cancellation of the spring bear hunt for the outfitter industry.

Further, as a long-established hunting tradition in Ontario, the spring bear hunt provided important personal and cultural benefits to thousands of hunters each year. Hunting heritages go back much farther than recorded history. They go back to time immemorial because all humans are the descendants of successful hunters. For individual spring bear hunters, the hunt provided opportunities to renew their connection with nature and be rewarded with the riches of the hunting experience, including self-fulfillment, spiritual renewal and enlightenment, the possibility of wholesome food for the family table, valuable hides, and sharing knowledge gained with fellow hunters, family and friends.

The cancellation of the spring bear hunt was bad for people and bad for bears. Surely, it is time our elected provincial politicians (Conservative, Liberal and New Democrat alike) admit that for the good of society and the good of the black bear population, the spring bear hunt must be reinstated.

Terry Quinney, Ph.D. 
Provincial Manager of Fish and Wildlife Services 
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters 
Peterborough, Ontario_


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## Michael Myers (Nov 13, 2008)

rdneckhillbilly said:


> Good read I wanted to share....
> 
> _Why the spring bear hunt must be reinstated
> The following is a letter sent by Dr. Terry Quinney, Provincial Manager of Fish and Wildlife for the O.F.A.H., to various media outlets regarding the spring bear hunt.
> ...


This is what i like to read.It would be great to start up a petition of our own as bear hunters to send in to the Mnr,as long as the Liberals are in power in Ontario...I don't see it making any difference though..Thanks for the Clip...Grizz


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## rmarchand (Aug 15, 2013)

This is an old document and has been used in our fight, when the hunt was cancelled I along with a number of people across Ontario held ralliesy, gathered info and did what we could to reinstate. It really doesn't matter which party is in power, I personally will be surprised if it is ever reinstated back to its original state. It would be political suicide, every party has had their crack at it and every party has lied. The conservatives were the ones to cancel.... the last election they said they would reinstate it.... they lied. The liberals....lied. The conservatives were told by Robert Schadd that if they did not cancel the hunt they would never be back in power, he then started the smear campaign against the hunt. In a stroke of a pen Mike Harris cancelled the hunt, even after the conservatives sent a letter to all outfitters just mere weeks prior that the spring was the optimum time to harvest and manage the Ontario bear populations.
When the push was on to reinstate.... most hunters stood back and let the few push on.... they said they didn't hunt bears, therefore it didn't affect them, the same was said when the attack the seal harvest...remember...UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL
it's that simple guys... we have to stop our bickering between ourselves, between, gun and bow, hounds or bait....we're all in this together...we need to smarten up, then we stand a chance.... there I said my piece, I'll be quiet now.
Rick


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## Xenomorph (Jun 18, 2012)

GrizzlyMan1980 said:


> This is what i like to read.It would be great to start up a petition of our own as bear hunters to send in to the Mnr,as long as the Liberals are in power in Ontario...I don't see it making any difference though..Thanks for the Clip...Grizz


To make a difference you guys actually need to put together a convincing petition supported by numbers. Outfitters, public personalities (PhDs professors, vets, lawyers ...anyone with weight). Politicians only care about two things: money and votes. Elect your officials based on all above.

I moved into an area in BC where papa bear, a huge 500#er walks the coop every night in search for a garbage victim. He's not even fazed anymore, walks by just meters away from you and b lines it to the garbage cans left outside and tries to open them. When I see people feeding them I want to beat, seriously. 

This whole world is turning into a micro-managed nanny state and it's frustrating to say the least.


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## hyde_me (Jul 10, 2011)

My understanding,(and I could be wrong) is that the spring hunt is only available to residents. My cousin has a neighbour feeding bears of her back porch and will have up to 2 to 5 bears a day visit. Can't shoot any because it's considered part of the town but they have killed his dog and his kids have to be watched to be in their own yard. Expand the hunt.


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## joe171 (Jan 8, 2012)

*I have been actively sending out requesting information to quite a few outfitters looking to set up a hunt as the fall hunt was a bust tooo HOT to much food in the bush but the company was great I need to get my bear I hope I can wait till May LOL :cheers:

Joe*


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## skull (Nov 29, 2005)

i cant wait to be hunting bears in the spring again after 15 years


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## Ravenhunter (Dec 19, 2010)

Anyone know of outfitters offering spring hunts?


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## hyde_me (Jul 10, 2011)

:wink:


Ravenhunter said:


> Anyone know of outfitters offering spring hunts?


 If your going to the Sportsman Show in Toronto this winter there will be dozens of outfitters booths setup there.


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## skull (Nov 29, 2005)

Ravenhunter said:


> Anyone know of outfitters offering spring hunts?


i might be taking a few guys this spring season im not to sure yet


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