Province says grizzly killed through Alberta’s new hunting program
More than a year after the Alberta government announced it was creating a network of hunters Shoot “Problem” GrizzliesThe province says one bear has been killed.
“To date, of the four grizzly responders called to address grizzly conflicts, only one grizzly bear has been fatally removed,Michael Plenits, press secretary for the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, said in a statement.
“In all four cases, grizzly bears were responsible for killing livestock.”
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Legislature, Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen confirmed that a bear was killed in mid-June near Twin Buttes, a village in the Pincher Creek Municipality in southern Alberta.
Grizzly bear hunting has been banned in Alberta since 2006. Barring select cases in the province, this remains the case. Wildlife Management Response Network ProgramWhich came into effect through a ministerial order in June 2024.
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 does not count as bear hunting, although the program also states that after tracking and shooting a grizzly, the responder may keep the bear’s meat, except for the hide and all other parts of the animal. gall bladder,
Former official says culling grizzlies is a Band-Aid solution
Retired Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clark has been involved in the province’s wildlife management programs throughout his career. He said the key to avoiding human-catastrophe conflict in rural Alberta is to be aware of bears, and that trying to prevent bears from being attracted to populated areas will prevent the need to kill them.
“Instead of killing one bear after another, you want to prevent problems,” he said.
He pointed to government investment financial assistance To keep bears away from farms. This includes installing electric fencing, upgrading grain storage units and removing dead animals.
Clark said the province authorizing members of the public to shoot “problem” grizzlies instead of Fish and Wildlife officers is “probably a little bit of bear management, a little bit of politics – that kind of thing.”
He noted that despite the province’s permission for the program last year, Alberta Fish and Wildlife “euthanizes many bears, grizzly bears, during the season.”
“Instead of shooting it, they’re calling a hunter to come and shoot it… giving a resident the opportunity to harvest that animal,” Clark said.
One of Clark’s biggest concerns is the possibility of killing the wrong bear, which means hunters must be diligent when confirming that the bear in their crosshairs is actually the one they are authorized to shoot.
Minister says program responds to ‘negative grizzly-human interactions’
In an interview with CBC News, Loewen said that although he considers the province’s grizzly bear recovery program successful so far, the province is still “concerned about negative grizzly-human interactions,” which is The Wildlife Management Response Network is meant to address.
“We’re definitely seeing an increased distribution of grizzly bears throughout the province and an increase in density as well,” Loewen said.
In a release last year, 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.”
“wI’ve heard a lot of reports about these negative conversation It’s happened to the Grizzlies…and a lot more livestock killed By the Grizzlies, Loewen said.
mountain view bear smartAn organization that tracks encounters with bears and other large carnivores in central Alberta lists several instances of landowners having their animals attacked by grizzly bears. Recently, on October 16, a wild animal killed a goat.
Mountain View County beekeepers Simone and Steven Dold often have to deal with unwanted guests trying to steal from their hives, like this brown bear. A shameless crook attempts to pull off a late-night robbery – but doesn’t get the honey he’s looking for.
“We don’t want people to lose their livelihoods from this kind of negative conversation,” Loewen said.
provincial recovery plan Involves restoration of grizzly habitat in places such as Kananaskis Country and raising awareness on proper coexistence with bears through education programs such as Bear Smart, along with other bear management areas.
