Ontario Proposing to Expand Black Bear Hunting Pilot

[ghart 55]

Ontario Proposing to Expand Black Bear Hunting Pilot

Province Committed to Sustainable Black Bear Management

NEWS October 30, 2015
Ontario is proposing an expanded spring bear hunting pilot program to gather further information to
assess concerns voiced by northern communities about human-bear conflicts, and to support
economic growth and tourism in northern Ontario.

The proposed spring bear hunt pilot expansion, now available for public comment on Ontario’s
Environmental Registry, would include:
• Extending the pilot by an additional five years, through to 2020
• All 88 wildlife management units that currently have a fall bear hunt
• Non-resident hunters

Under the expanded pilot proposal, it would still be illegal to hunt bear cubs and females with cubs.
Anyone convicted of this offence could face a fine of up to $25,000 and up to one year
imprisonment. In most cases, each licensed hunter would only be allowed to hunt one bear in each
calendar year. Baiting of bears during all bear hunting seasons would be regulated to help address
possible public safety concerns.

QUOTES
“Managing the bear population responsibly through an expanded pilot program would allow us to
gather further information to assess the impacts of an early black bear season on concerns voiced
by northern communities about human-bear conflicts, and to support economic growth and tourism
in northern Ontario.”
– Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

QUICK FACTS
• Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population with up to 105,000 black
bears living in the province.
• Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall
bear hunt except Nova Scotia and Ontario, which only have fall hunts.
• For 2014 and 2015, Ontario held a two-year bear management pilot program in eight wildlife
management units, all of which reported high levels of nuisance bear activities. The hunt was
open to Ontario residents from May 1 to June 15. Communities in and around these units
include Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay.

[Nnev 70]

I'm shocked that Ontario only has 105,000 Bears. I feel like I've seem that many this year alone.

[mooboy76 4]

Here is the Environmental Registry listing to comment on both the 5 year pilot spring hunt program, and ideas to change bear baiting for both spring and fall hunts.

http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTI2MzQ1&statusId=MTkwNjk4&language=en

5 Year Spring Hunt Pilot Section

Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population that contributes to the province’s biodiversity. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) heard increasingly from Ontario communities that they are concerned about conflicts with bears. In response, in 2014 and 2015 the ministry implemented a two-year spring bear hunting pilot program in eight Wildlife Management Units (13, 14, 29, 30, 36, 39, 41 and 42) to see if it would have effects on human-bear conflicts.

The ministry is now proposing to extend and expand the spring black bear hunting season pilot for an additional 5 years with the following modifications:

• Expand to all Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) that currently have a fall black bear hunting season (i.e., 88 WMUs);

• Increase the scope by adding non-resident hunters; and

• Regulate the baiting of black bears.

The proposed pilot would provide additional data with which to assess the impacts of the spring black bear hunting season and help inform long-term black bear management activities. The pilot is also expected to increase the economic benefits derived from bear hunting for tourist outfitters and local economies. The pilot would begin in the spring of 2016 and end June 15, 2020.

The harvest of bear cubs and female bears accompanied by a cub would be illegal during the spring bear hunting pilot. The pilot project would use the existing bear hunter licensing framework. Resident bear licences would be valid for both the pilot and regular fall seasons. Resident hunters may only harvest one bear per year unless hunting in an area where a second bear seal is available. Non-resident hunters may only harvest one bear per year. There would also be a mandatory bear hunter activity and harvest reporting requirement for the spring season, consistent with the current fall bear hunting reporting requirement. All other provisions for hunting black bears in the province of Ontario would apply to the spring season.

Comments to Change Bear Baiting for Fall and Spring Hunts Section

MNRF is also seeking comments on ways to regulate the practice of black bear baiting in Ontario for all open bear hunting seasons (both spring and fall). Regulatory amendments under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 to regulate the activity of baiting black bears would be considered in light of comments received on the following specific elements. The elements of black bear baiting activities include, but are not limited to:

• Permitted placement (e.g., baits must not be placed within a specified distance from private land, occupied dwellings, roadways and railways, canoe portages, marked trails, protected areas, etc.);

• Permitted timing (e.g., placement of bait restricted to the open hunting season in spring or fall and the preceding two weeks);

• Bait removal (e.g., clarifying the requirement to remove all bait and associated materials when the hunting season ends);

• Method of baiting (e.g., requirement to use suspended bait to facilitate identification and protection of females with cubs in the spring); and

• Amount/content of bait (e.g., bait limited to 10 kg).

The regulation of baiting of black bears is intended to avoid creating habituation in black bears to artificial food sources and to reduce the potential conflict with people engaged in other recreational activities. The proposed regulation of these elements of black bear baiting will include consideration of all comments received on the proposal.