Black Bear Pilot and Regulate Baiting/Public Input Required

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In 2014, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) introduced a two-year black bear pilot that included a limited early bear hunting season in response to increasing concerns in some northern communities about conflicts with black bears. The pilot took place in 8 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in northern Ontario all of which have communities with reported high levels of human-bear encounters. The pilot ended on June 15, 2015.
The ministry is proposing to extend the pilot for an additional five years and expand it to include additional areas of northern and central Ontario starting in 2016 with the following modifications:
Include all WMUs that currently have a fall black bear hunting season (i.e., 88 WMUs),
include non-resident hunters (in addition to Ontario residents), and
regulate the baiting of black bears.

The harvest of bear cubs and females with cubs would continue to be prohibited during this early season, and other provisions in the previous pilot would continue to apply. Please see the enclosed map showing the Wildlife Management Units that are within the proposed pilot areas.
MNRF recognizes that this proposal may be of interest to your organization and welcomes your perspectives on the proposed pilot.

Currently, the ministry is seeking comments from the public, municipalities, stakeholders, First Nation and Métis communities and organizations on the proposed pilot through the Environmental Registry. The comment period for this proposal is from October 30 to November 30, 2015. To view the Environmental Registry notice, please visit www.ontario.ca/environmentalregistry and enter #012-5485 in the search.

If you would like to meet to discuss your interests, my staff would be pleased to arrange a meeting. Please contact Christie Curley at 705-755-5377 (christie.curley@ontario.ca) with any questions or to arrange a mutually agreeable time.
I look forward to hearing your views.

Sincerely,

Chloe Stuart, Director
Species Conservation Policy Branch
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
300 Water Street, 5th Floor North
Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5
Phone: 705-755-5341
Email: chloe.stuart@ontario.ca

Attachment - Black_bear_expanded pilot_October 2015.pdf

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Here is the direct link to the Environmental Registry:

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

For those of you hunting the bears, this is the section regarding baiting regulations; note that changes would affect the fall hunt as well. I don't know if their examples are going to turn into proposals, but if you don't like them, or if you've got some good ideas, then you'd better leave a comment saying so now.

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.