by Stu Paterson – outdoors writer living in Grey Bruce
Ontario’s black bear management framework is under review, and hunter perspectives are a critical part of the process.
Our provincial government has been studying black bear populations in Grey-Bruce and across the province. Now there is an opportunity to tell the province what it should do to maintain healthy and sustainable bear populations in our region.
There have been numerous suggestions on how to deal with this issue on the Bruce Peninsula. Here is what you need to know before you comment. Our Bruce Peninsula bear population is cut off, leaving our bears isolated from travel and new genetics. There are fewer bears in our region. One expert predicts the health of our bears is poor, that within fifty years they will be extirpated from the Bruce.
In June of 2023 OFAH published a full page on the issue in ONTARIO OUT OF Doors. OFAH presented a list of approaches that if implemented, would result in enough bears to hunt and also ensure we have the strongest black bear system possible. One suggestion noted the fact Peninsula bears lack genetic diversity and said if bears were translocated from other areas of Ontario, that genetic diversity would improve and our bears would be healthier.
Our federation encourages residents, hunters and conservationists to take part in the conversation. The deadline to provide input to the province is January 5. Click here to have your say.
FYI The Hunter Conservationist Podcast focuses on sustainable wildlife use and conservation across Canada and has become an important voice within the conservation community. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube for the segment on proposed updates to black bear management in Ontario. OFAH encourages hunters to stay informed, engage in the process, and ensure their voices are heard, as decisions are made about the future of black bear management in Grey-Bruce and across Ontario.
