A fellow asked me the other day if I support trophy hunting for grizzly bears and I of course do but the explanation I gave to him was well recieved. Could education of the purpose of Grizzly bear hunting help persuade the naysayers? I believe so, by educating anti hunters about the reasons why we hunt grizzly bears we can silence the anti hype. Here are some reasons why I believe hunting grizzly bears for trophy purposes or meat is a good idea:
Money-the bottom line: How many anti hunters do you know that speak up against hunting support or fund grizzly bear conservation efforts? Hunters pump almost all private funding towards grizzly bear management and conservation. Think about how much hunters pay on applying for the draw, licenses, tags, and guiding fees. Not to mention the inderect monies that flow into conservation. How much do anti hunters put into grizzly bear conservation?
Preserving the fear of man: Hunting grizzly bears instills that they should stay away from man. Grizzlys that are not hunted can lose their respect and fear of man by encountering man and civilization. Rouge grizzlys have been known to attack livestock, encroach on urban areas, and attack humans. The hunting of grizzly bears pushes the bears further into the wilderness and makes them realize that man presents a threat. Contrary to what idealistic hippies might believe, we cant live in harmony with dangerous top of the food chain predators, they deserve their vast wilderness space away from urban areas. Grizzlys cannot co-habitate with man unlike the adaptable coyote and black bear.
Keeping the herd healthy: Nature works in cycles and when there is an abundance of food animals over produce untill there is famine or desease that wipes out the herd. By taking 3-5% of the herd and recieving funds, the grizzly bear herd is stronger and healthier with steady numbers instead of going through extreme high and low populations.
So even if hunters are hunting a grizzly bear for the trophy, the activity still has benefits for the grizzly bear long term. If hunters are not allowed to partake in the sport, who then would step up to pay for the funding of the management, research, and conservation of these great beasts.
here are some grizzly bear facts from the government of BC: http://www.bearsinbc.com/pages/02grizzly/02myths.html
here are some grizzly bear hunting tips: http://www.huntingtipsandtricks.com/a/Grizzly_Bear_Hunting_Tips_
I have had this discussion with many non-hunters. I love your take on how to approach this subject.
thanks, its always a current hot topic here in B.C. Canada where we have the largest population of grizzly bears and left wing socialistic hippy tree hugger environmentalists.
Yeah, my dad and I have been Grizzly bear hunting a few times in BC and the Outfitters are always complaining about the hippie crowd. Frankly, I think they are quite worried that grizzly bear hunting may cease to exist at some point.
oh neat, where abouts have you hunted in British Columbia?
and were you successful?