Rural municipalities call on Alberta government to begin grizzly bear hunt

call to alberta government to begin brown bear hunting Being supported by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).

As stated in a policy proposal, the RMA will “advocate for (the provincial government) to implement a regulated grizzly bear hunt administered through a draw system.”

motion It was put forward by Cardston County and carried forward by the RMA membership in late March.

“As the population grows, communities in southern Alberta have seen a significant increase in human-bear interactions.” Cardston County It is written in the statement attached with the proposal.

Last summer, a fisherman injured Near the city of Cardston, about 20 kilometers north of the US borderAfter that a grizzly boar caught her cubs.

“Residents, livestock owners and municipal employees have reported bears approaching homes, breaking into outbuildings, breaking grain bins and preying on livestock,” the statement said.

“Field staff in Cardston County have faced aggressive encounters while performing routine duties, including a recent incident where a summer staff member was closely followed by a grizzly bear while working near the river in Kimball.”

A spokesperson for Cardston County did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication.

The majority of the RMA’s membership, made up of more than 60 rural Alberta counties and municipal districts, voted in support of the proposal.

RMA President Kara Westerlund tells CBC News reports of bear activity have increased ““Certainly there are increased safety issues for rural residents of some municipalities, particularly on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta.”

Last year, a High number of bear encounters Alberta Parks prompted to release warning of a blanket bear For the entire Kananaskis Country – the first time such an advisory had been issued since 2016.

““I think there is a real opportunity here to work together to find some meaningful solutions,” Westerlund said. khaki Bear prey I think this is one of those pieces.”

The RMA resolution also calls on the province to “establish a dedicated funding program to support grizzly bear research, conflict-mitigation efforts and community safety initiatives” and increase funding to help landowners protect their property in an effort to relieve livestock hunting pressures.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services received over 60 Complaints related to confirmed cases of khaki bears are killing Animal Last year – four incidents were recorded in Cardston County.

The motion also calls on the province to “terminate the grizzly bear recovery plan.” Which is applicable from 2008, “And implement a grizzly bear management plan.”

recovery plan Mapped bear management areas include protecting and restoring grizzly habitat, Working to reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflict and human-caused grizzly bear mortality, and raise awareness on bear coexistenceThrough BearSmart Programs across Alberta.

Grizzly hunting season ended in 2006

Grizzly bear hunting has been banned in Alberta for two decades, except for harvesting by indigenous hunters for livelihood or cultural purposes.

The province designated the grizzly bear as a threatened species in 2010.

In a statement sent to CBC News, the provincial Ministry of Forestry and Parks did not directly comment on the possibility of grizzly bear hunting.

“The Government of Alberta is focused on protecting both public safety and wildlife by continuing to responsibly manage grizzly bears,” the province said.

“Since the 2006 hunting moratorium and 2020 recovery plan, most areas have seen population increases, making public awareness, education, conflict prevention and response programs increasingly important,” the province said. He said its staff “will continue to work closely with Albertans to help achieve these objectives across bear habitat and landscapes.”

In 2024, the province launched its Wildlife Management Response Networkthrough which “problem” grizzly bears may be killed by qualified hunters with provincial approval.

The province’s pool of “Grizzly Responders” consists of qualified hunters who applied and were selected for the program. When a situation arises where the province deems it appropriate to kill a grizzly bear, those hunters can be called in.

The province has stated that the program is not considered a grizzly hunt, as authorizations are granted on a case-by-case basis rather than for tags. But as with sport hunting, the respondent may keep the bear’s meat, hide, and all other parts of the animal, except gall bladder.

a brown bear Has been killed by a hunter since the beginning of the program.

Westerlund said the RMA would like to see its proposed grizzly hunt expand on the existing program focusing on problem bears.

The RMA’s policy proposal states “the number of available tags is determined annually based on population data, conflict trends, and the results of previous seasons to help maintain reasonable and sustainable bear populations.”

According to provincial data, 18 grizzly bears were killed by people last year: seven as “problem wildlife”, seven harvested under treaty rights, were hit by three vehiclesAnd one was killed in self-defense.

There has been no research on the grizzly population in almost a decade

Cardston County statement points to data A 2016 study which identified 172 grizzlies in a bear management area covering much of southwestern Alberta, “W.This area now supports the highest grizzly bear population density in the province.”

There has been no provincial study on grizzly numbers since 2018, when a population survey indicated there were between 865 and 973 bears in Alberta.

In a 2024 release, the province said Alberta’s grizzly bear population “has increased from about 800 to now more than 1,150, causing them to move into more populated areas.”

“People are still seeing good numbers of bears, they’re expanding eastward, but there’s no recent science to confirm it at this point,” said Jeff Bechtel, coordinator of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve. Vegetarian and Community Program.

The association, which oversees biodiversity and wildlife coexistence programs in southwestern Alberta, was consulted before putting the proposal forward.

“Lethal control is part of living with large carnivores, and there should be a lot of discussion about it and the science behind it,” Bechtel said.

He said the association is not necessarily for or against the RMA policy solution, partly because it is multidimensional and proposes multiple solutions to a complex issue.

“If (we) are never willing to address a problem, it probably won’t provide the stability that we need,” he said. “And if we just run around killing bears, we’re never going to get to the point we want to get to, but all of these things have to work together, and that’s never going to be right.”

Westerlund with the RMA said the lack of recent population data is not ideal for municipalities concerned about grizzly bears.

“This is a great opportunity to sit down and have a conversation before things become a bigger problem than they already are,” he said.

Reports of grizzly bear sightings this year started in marchInvolved Banff National Park’s iconic Bear 122, known as The Boss.

Mountain View BeerSmart, Joe keeps track of views Numbers of bears and other carnivores in central Alberta, this March documented the observation of two grizzlies and two different sets of legs.