The following was in an email I got from SCI. Could this be possible?

"Ontario Bear Hunt Back On?
It may be too soon for such good news but “the Toronto Star reports that Ontario residents want the provincial government to reevaluate their "Bear Wise" program and initiate a spring bear hunt in 2006. Following a sharp rise in bear/human incidents, the two year-old "Bear Wise" program has been called ineffective as it ‘manages people, not bears.’†(Source: Outdoor Wire/Toronto Star)"

I hope so.
I am from Ontario and from what I know, they (Ministry and antyhunting groups) they try to educate public how to live among growing bear population.
Whenever spring bear is mentioned, antys go and cry that it is not good to hunt sow and little cubs.
However OFAH (Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers) is fighting that for years with support of biologists and northern residents of Ontario to reinstate the spring bear hunt.

My belief is, that it will come one year, we need few more people injured because the stupid law and then the government will change that rule.

Peter Pan:

How will you overcome those environmentalist types in Toronto and all their votes? They outnumber you by an enormous margin. (Just asking. I'm on your side)

quote:

Originally posted by gerry375:
Peter Pan:

How will you overcome those environmentalist types in Toronto and all their votes? They outnumber you by an enormous margin. (Just asking. I'm on your side)

Only using scientific data and God forbid another close bear encounters.
Black Bears are coming as short as 20 miles from Toronto. What we need is few bears roaming over streets of T.O. and then maybe, I hope.

Antis produce some leaflets how to live along the bears, but bears can't read and like to eat.
More people complain, and they already do, something may happend.

I hope 2006 (like I hope for the last few years) will bring spring bear hunt.

PeterPan:

Lord knows that I wish you luck! (and I am not saying that to hunt bear again in the Spring. I'm 75 and have called it a day) I realize that spring bear hunting is important to the economy in the country side. I still think that you have one tough row to hoe. I am astonished to hear that bears are within 20 miles of Toronto. I used to turn off the Jacques Cartier/Macdonald Highway, just short of Toronto and start to drive north. I wasn't even hunting in "far north Canada" but certainly I knew then that it certainly wasn't "bear country" within 20 miles of Toronto -or even 50 or 75 miles of Toronto. Your situation is like the mountain lions attacking hikers and joggers in California -after California outlawed shooting of mountain lions. Hunters get rid of the most aggressive of any species. You're right to worry about a black bear attack. It will happen. You and I know it will happen. ( I remember when a black female killed two boys fishing in Algonquin Provincial Park. It was regrettable, of course, and local people were upset as they had a right to be. It didn't mean to stop hunting bears)

Your biggest problem in getting Spring bear hunting restored is how to answer the argument of the tree huggers and bunny lovers :"You might kill a female bear and leave cubs as orphans". You and I know that we wait (over a stand) to see if any nursing cubs are around. (In late May, they should be crowding around her anyway) I freely admit that I still "groped" my first Spring bear and was relieved to find that he was one of us! Nonetheless, it is a powerful argument to non hunting types. I wish you luck!