CBC.ca is having a poll about the sustainability of the "trophy" grizzly bear hunt in BC.

The grizzly hunt in BC is entirely by limited entry (or in the case of non-residents, there is a quota for guide-outfitters). Using a VERY conservative estimate of the population, and annual allowable harvest is set at less than 2% of the population, and it's illegal to shoot any bear in the company of cubs.

The grizzly bear population has been increasing for at least the last decade, and are re-colonizing habitats that they were pushed out of many decades earlier.

We can use help maintaing this hunt in BC as we are currently under a lot of pressure from anti--hunting groups that used the Olympics as a springboard for their revived campaigns.

Please VOTE here.... http://www.cbc.ca/bc/

Thanks,
Canuck

Done

Done!
Almost 3300 votes, Yes-78%: No=22%

added my 2 cents

Canuck,

Done.

I also posted a copy of your message on two other popular sites.

I've never hunted grizzly bears, but have an interest.

My concern is with Canadian outfitters that want to fudge the numbers to make the population appear much larger so a hunt can be initiated, and an outfitter can make more money. I ran into that in the North West Territories. I was asked on my post-hunt report to the game department to list having seen five grizzlies. I had seen one sow and cub. That's what I listed.

I'm like most other hunters (I think). I want to see sustainable, huntable populations of all trophy animals whether they are bear, leopard, sheep, etc. To just shoot-up a population to the point of having them become unhuntable, or extinct is stupid, greedy, and selfish.

If the bear numbers justifying the hunt are real, sounds like you've got a strong case.

What I find strange in Australia is that the majority of the population don't want animals hunted, but they have no problem with the government having massive culls (shot, poisoned, you name it) to keep the population (of everything) in check. I would hate to see Canada or the U.S. go down this path.

Non-hunters always react the same. Don't hunt the cute bears, but if someone is killed, or their poodle gets eaten by a bear too close to a city, they want all the bears trapped, moved, culled. They don't really care if wild game is killed, they just don't want to know about it when it happens.

Done

While I have never harbored a desire to hunt any bear other than a black bear, I went to the site and voted yes.

Numbers were slightly over 3700 votes, with 79% voting yes and 21% voting no.

While people in some quarters will not agree with this, regulated/controlled sport hunting of many species, is what saved them from extinction.

To me, many people do not understand the difference between the terms priceless and worthless, and confuse the two.

Stating that a particular animal or species is Priceless, translates to them into it being Worthless, or of no value.

Being able to state that said animal/species is worth X amount of $$$ gives the item in question a quantifiable value, therefore these people view the situation in a different light.

They are able to visualize that the animal/species is actually worth something, therefore it is worth regulating so that people will want to travel to that area to hunt said species/animal.

That is all just my opinion.

My vote is in, but the real vote is when I pay for grizzly license in BC this year as well as last year. That money goes to help the wildlife.? People who want to ban grizz hunting or other types do so on emotion not fact(too much walt disney) what the should do is put their money in to help wildlife. Anti's can't seem to grasp that every species that has been regulated has actually thrived, it is human encroachment and loss of habitat that diminishes game's survival.

quote:

Originally posted by 375fan:
My vote is in, but the real vote is when I pay for grizzly license in BC this year as well as last year. That money goes to help the wildlife.? People who want to ban grizz hunting or other types do so on emotion not fact(too much walt disney) what the should do is put their money in to help wildlife. Anti's can't seem to grasp that every species that has been regulated has actually thrived, it is human encroachment and loss of habitat that diminishes game's survival.

Excellent posting. Very well said!!
I voted "yes".

Don

Just added my vote too. So far, the good guys are 82% Yes vs. 18% No.
In some ways I don't think a nonresident/alien should be sticking their nose in some other country's business but I made an exception here. We sportsmen/women gotta stick together regardless of borders. Hope it goes thru and Canadian officials/politicians don't pul an Obama/Reed/Wicked Witch of the West stunt on you folks.
Bear in Fairbanks

Kensco:

Nice to hear from an Aussie (yeah, there still are a lot of us Americans who like and admire the Aussies) You are posting an actual experience and if you took the time and trouble to travel to the NWT of Canada -then, in my humble opinion, you know what you are talking about. I do have one bone to pick - Why can't you arrange for every sea croc in your neck of the woods to be shot on sight? (I visited Africa once, Chirisa, and came to hate crocs on sight (along with hyenas) Please don't tell me all the bunny and tree hugger arguments - or I will be disappointed in you as a true Aussie!! Kill 'em all!