Just wondering if anyone has heard anything on the 2006 Grizzly draws or if they are even going to have one?

Hello;
Haven't had the opportunity to call, but I was wondering the same, since I should be on the list to receive a notification and haven't got one. It's getting pretty late since they were supposed to get this done by the end of this month, but then I haven't received a bulletin from the antis either, bragging that the Hunt is off. I like to send them a little note now and then.
Grizz

Yeh, it seems that they are keeping pretty tight lipped about this one. I hope they have it cause I'm now at priority 8 and would kinda like to hunt a griz in AB and not have to go elsewhere to hunt em.

I phoned Edmonton this morning and was told no decision has come down yet. Doesn't sound good to me and I sense a lack of political will. I used my priority in 2004 just to get what I figured might be my last chance and don't hold out much hope of getting another.
Grizz

Well its now official looks like no more hunting of grizzlies for a while :

Alberta is suspending its controversial spring grizzly bear hunt.
Sustainable Resource Development Minister David Coutts says the province will ban all hunting of the animals anywhere in the province for the next three years.
Coutts says that will give scientists time to gather and interpret more information on bear populations.
The government has estimated there are about 700 bears in Alberta, but Coutts admits that number is no longer in use.

I'm sorry to hear that. Where/how did you find out?

I never entered the draw in my first two years living here, figuring they'd close it down long before I'd get a chance. I entered last year, just to show support for the draw. I knew one guy who cashed in on his points last year, got a grizz with a rubbed bottom. He was sick about the rub. I told him "Look, you got an Alberta grizzly, you'll be one of the very few this year, and you may very well have been one of the last. Better treasure it, rub or not."

Wonder if we ever get it back...

Frans

Read the announcement here:

http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200603/19534C14EEBBD-0ACA-4FFB-F044F1888ED96469.html

Frans

The ranchers will still kill problem bears, of course ... if it is any consolation .. maybe the Metis will now have to leave them alone. Now if they would just leave the rams be ...

Hello;
Will we ever get it back? We went through this with Goats and it seems they are extending the draws again, but very slowly. Unfortunately, the times they are changing and bears of all kinds seem to be on the antis radar. I guess only time will tell. the scariest thing I heard repeatedly on the radio roday was one announcer's claims that there were only 100 Grizzlies left in Alberta. Of course, the Wingnuts will be hanging on this bit of "information".
This leaves the question of what was the point of the Eastern Slopes Grizzly Study, which came up with a bear poulation estimate and suggested there may have been concerns, but the population was stable.
I got a Grizz in 1990 and cashed in my points to hunt again in 2004. No bear, but it was a good Hunt and was probably my last.
Grizz

Frans
I saw it on QR 77 website. The also had the claim of 100 grizzlies but that was between hwy 1 and Hwy 16. Funny because I work in the area and now see more grizzlies every year. Matter of fact there is one that I got really close to, not by choice, last fall just before I went to Tanzania


I was stuck in the ditch after the steering tie rod came apart on my truck (the day after I got a wheel alignment), when this guy ambled up to have a look.

The 100 number that's being thrown around is some estimate of the bears between hwy 1 and hwy 16 in Banff and Jasper Parks, who knows what hat that came out of...

I just skimmed the report and a couple of things grabbed me:

Support for the hunting closure was not unanimous by all members involved in the report.

They used mortality stats up to 2003 only - where hunter harvest was approx. double what is was the last 2 years with the latest reduction in tags.

They are already considering reducing ungulate tags in areas of grizzly/hunter conflict to reduce self defence kills - watch out fellers, they don't have a proper count of the number of bears, they're using old stats, but are already considering reducing other big game tags???????

They are considering restrictions (inside and outside of Grizzly Conservation areas, I assume this means everywhere) on transporting and using guns on OHV's - doesn't say what restrictions but this doesn't sound good for those wanting to use a quad while hunting...

Now I'm all for conservation but I really think the government has bent over on this one to the anti hunter sentiment, and are taking the easy route out, the fact is with population and industrial growth going on, having a limited grizzly hunt doesn't affect the bears at all in the long run...

This guy is one reason the actual number of Grizzlies is so hard to determine. He started as a problem bear in Kanaskis country and was relocated a distance of about 400 miles to Red Earth. Two months later, he was back, raiding granaries and posing a threat to children on a farm in the Sundre area. The lady rancher was allowed to shoot him, after trapping efforts failed.