Why is black bear hunting appropriate?
We believe hunting is in the best interest of the black bear population and in the best interest of conservation. It is also an important recreational pursuit and a way of life for some people, including most guide-outfitters and many First Nations. The scientific basis for wildlife management is that a hunted population is more productive than one at carrying capacity. Population growth depends on both the birth and death rates. While bears possess relatively low reproductive rates, sows are good mothers and survival and longevity are higher than for most other large mammals. Hunting is an important management tool and without it many more black bears may be killed illegally and more may become the subject of nuisance control actions. Conservation Officers will need to spend much more time controlling bear-human conflict situations, further reducing the time they spend on enforcement. As the number of British Columbians increases to four million and residential and industrial developm
