Protesters scream for grizzly blood. By Darcy Henton and Jamie Hall, edmontonjournal.com in the Vancouver Sun.
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Time running out for Alberta’s dwindling grizzlies. Minister mulls reinstating spring hunt even as gov’t report recommends bears be listed as threatened species. By Darcy Henton, Edmonton Journal
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
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“Brian Bildson, of the Willmore Wilderness Foundation, says hunting has a limited impact on grizzly bear mortality and is an effective tool for managing problem bears.”
So the odds are good that the hunter would accurately identify the problem bear and not accidentally kill a bear that was not prone to attacks on humans or livestock predation? How a hunt can even be considered is ludicrous. It becomes very evident that we in the lower forty-eight may no longer be able to rely on our neighbors to the north to resupply our species should they crash due to any number of reasons. Lets hope we see increased commitment to restore more habitat, increase populations and genetic diversity with the new bear plan.
Cutthroat, there’s a typo in your comment. It’s actually the “Killmore Wilderness Foundation” in this case.
All seriousness aside, the problem with allowing hunters to take one group of animals, when there is plenty of evidence that they can’t differentiate between target and nontarget groups, is very widespread. Utah has been very bad in setting hunting seasons for one species of swan, for example, when their hunters can’t tell the difference between the target swan species and a similar protected species that flies with them. Cranes are another perennial problem. Hunters continue to insist on taking sandhill cranes, despite the fact that they can’t tell the difference between an adult sandhill and an immature whooper.
Why anyone would be so desperate to kill swans and cranes that they can’t control themselves even in the interests of recovering hallmark TES species is beyond me; but, that’s another issue.
Ha, Ha…you make good points. Let alone the fact, it is has been made quite clear over and over (twice in ’09 in Idaho alone) many can’t tell the difference between a black bear and a griz.
Mikarooni: why do “hunters” want to kill any species of swan? Maybe this “bear satire” could be used for the climate change issue.
Monty,
Actually quite a few people eat swan…it is considered a lean meat with a high source of protein….not quite a greasy as goose..