Expanded spring bear hunt a done deal

After several months of public consultations the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry approved plans to expand Ontario's spring bear hunt pilot project to five years.

The five-year pilot expands on a previous two-year pilot program that allowed for a spring bear hunt in eight of Ontario's wildlife management units.

The new five-year pilot will expand the hunt to all 88 wildlife management units in the province.

The two-year pilot was also limited to Ontario residents, while the expanded pilot program allows non-residents to take part in the spring bear hunt, as long as they go through a recognized outfitter — a potential boon for outfitters in Northern Ontario.

“This is great news for Sudbury, and for the North. I am pleased that our government has listened to the concerns expressed by Northern Ontarians, and has taken concrete measures to help communities dealing with issues related to human-bear interactions,” said Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault in a press release.

Over the course of last spring and summer, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's Bear Wise Hotline received 3,900 calls from the entire province, but one third – 1,300 calls – were from Greater Sudbury.

There are an estimated 105,000 black bears in Ontario.

Every province and territory in Canada has a spring bear hunt except for Ontario and Nova Scotia, which both have fall hunts, and Prince Edward Island, which does not have any black bears.

It will be illegal for hunters to kill bear cubs or sows with cubs. Hunters convicted of the offence could face a fine up to $25,000 and up to one year imprisonment.

Baiting of bears during all bear hunting seasons will be regulated to help address public safety concerns.

According to the regulations:

Bait must not be placed within 500 metres of a residence unless written permission is obtained from the residence's owner;

Bait must not be placed within 500 metres of a public building;

And bait must not be placed within 200 metres of a right of way for public vehicle traffic or a marked public recreational trail.