Grizzly hunting

[huntinalberta]

Yes in certain areas there's definetly enouf Bears to have a hunt.

[thegunman]

2 days before sheep opener this year myself and my family hiked into a bowl. We set up camp and got busy cooking dinner. While I was cooking we were all glassing the opposing hillside about 1500 yds away. My mom spots a bear followed by my dad spotting two cubs with her, completed by myself seeing four more Grizzlies on the same hill, all within 300-500 yds of each other. Correct! That is now SEVEN grizzly bears on one hill, at one time. 2 very large sows each with twins and monster boar that dwarfed both of them. A dense population of Grizzlies?? I think so!!!

[kennedy]

which location has the highest levels of grizzlies

[artie]

I would say 400 has more than enough of their share

[Pathfinder76]

The southwest corner of this province has a rediculous amount of them.

[Sashi]

Maybe the Wildrose will be more acceptable to the idea, worth a try.

[dshaw]

Originally Posted by chuck

The southwest corner of this province has a rediculous amount of them.

x2 400 and 300 there everywhere

[oldgutpile]

Originally Posted by albertadeer

Could we pay natives to come hunt them? Maybe pay them 500$ a bear or something????

[ffw12]

Its my understanding that the Grizzly Bear population study conducted by the foothills model forest only counted grizzlies south of highway 16 along eastern slopes and did not include the national or provincial parks along the eastern slopes or the bears that pass from BC to Alberta. This leaves north of Highway 16 (Wilmore, Kakawa, Chinchaga, Grande prairie area, Fairview area, Worsley, Swan hills, Kinuso,....) Not to mention that the study probably missed a lot of bears. So of the "700" grizzly bears in the province, this captured in my estimation 25% of the provinces grizzly population. No anecdotal Grizzly numbers were accepted. I for one have encountered more Grizzly in my travels in the past years. I for one believe a third party should recount the bears with a unbiased method and not concerned with their job security.

[Big Grey Wolf]

The fellow that asked where most grizz in Alberta. It is Grade Cache /Smokey/Kakwa area. Even during the biased count they found almost half the 700-800 grizz counted where in that Bear zone.

[ffw12]

The original study done in 2003 which led to the moratorium did not include the zones north of highway 16, National Parks, Provincial Parks or Bears that cross into and from BC. Since then they may have expanded the study. The point is, the Grizzly season never should have been stopped. The false numbers are what caused the moratorium. Since you seem to know the stats. What is the current Grizzly bear population? What about the north of Grande Prairie, Chinchaga?,Worsley, Swan Hills, Kinuso etc..? If its supposed to be a Alberta Grizzly study, lets look at all of Alberta.

[Bigwoodsman]

I voted for a Grizzly Season.

I think while our "powers to be" a debating this Grizzly Season, they should be sequestered to a tent camp in the foothills of Alberta, somewhere west of Okotoks. There breakfasts should consist of copious amounts of bacon along with all the other fixings and cooked out of doors. There lunches should be Salmon and fish based, and there dinners should be grade A Alberta beef, barbequed on a spit and liberally basted. They should be fed like kings and queens after all they are our leaders who make all the decisions.

They should be required to take long walks in the forested area to clear their minds and to discuss this amongst themselves, to be able to become one with our wild land and to enjoy our abundance of beauty and wild life. They should consult with the biologists, there expertise on our Grizzly populations in the very environment that these bears thrive in.

Since I don't see or haven't heard of the opposition we currently have making any promises or bringing this topic up during question period, they should be invited along as well for this little camp out in our foothills. It could be considered a parliamentary picnic and a mandatory event.

I'm sure it wouldn't take very long to make a sound decision on the need for a Grizzly Season.

BW

[buckman]

Probably more shoot and shut up Grizz getting killed than we know about.

Most of the mountain and foothill zones have a good population.

Certainly enough for a limited draw hut.

[sevenmil]

The original government estimate for the number of bears South of Highway 3 down to the U.S. border was 50 bears. The DNA samples collected in the survey conducted by Andrea Morehouse has turned in 177 samples at last count. That is roughly 3 and a half times higher than the government estimate for that area.

Bear in mind that these are just the samples that were collected. It is not reasonable to expect that they have collected them all. The grizzly bear is alive and well. They are expanding into new areas and causing more and more problems. In many instances they are not showing any fear at all.

The idea that the grizzly bear population is in trouble is a political and emotional stance, and just doesn't hold water. It is just too bad that wildlife management has to become spearheaded by people who just don't know the whole story.

I read an article in Outdoor Life about the grizzly bear population in Montana. The population is increasing there by 3% per year. They are thinking about starting a limited entry hunt, but I don't think that has happened yet. Montana's population feeds the Alberta population from the South, and B.C. feeds it from the west. B.C. has a huntable population. The bears don't know where the Alberta border is.

If you don't think the grizzly is alive and well start doing some research. People that have lived in grizzly bear country their whole lives are not blind either to the changes they have seen in the last 20 years or so. But for some reason nobody seems to take that serious.

Anyone that comes out and says Grizzlies in Alberta are in trouble should be able to prove it. But it cannot be proven that they are in trouble. If ursus arctos horribilis is that far gone then the province would come up with the money to do an exhausting province-wide D.N.A. search, wouldn't they, you know because they are so worried? I could be wrong but I don't think that is in the cards right now. Why not? We have been told this is an urgent situation..........haven't we?

[Stinky Buffalo]

Here's an interesting related article:

http://ww2.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blo...tion-explosion

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by albertadeer

Could we pay natives to come hunt them? Maybe pay them 500$ a bear or something????

As long as they're protected the cousins can't hunt them either, once they allow a hunt it's opened season for treaty and Métis. Lots of issues with this whole grizzly hunting fiasco.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

As long as they're protected the cousins can't hunt them either, once they allow a hunt it's opened season for treaty and Métis. Lots of issues with this whole grizzly hunting fiasco.

It is my understanding that status people may hunt grizzlies for sustenance right now.
I'll try and dig up the document that I read it in.

[dwiterodtka]

Something strange going on in my little corner of the world. The mountains to the west are almost devoid of game of any type, the decline starting about 12 years ago.

Grizzlies are way down west, but way up to the east...have had 6 in the yard in last 2 years. Our moose, elk, and mule deer are extremely low until you get east of Sundre, Rocky, and Drayton. Puzzling.

[jockdoc]

Originally Posted by dwiterodtka

Something strange going on in my little corner of the world. The mountains to the west are almost devoid of game of any type, the decline starting about 12 years ago.

Grizzlies are way down west, but way up to the east...have had 6 in the yard in last 2 years. Our moose, elk, and mule deer are extremely low until you get east of Sundre, Rocky, and Drayton. Puzzling.

Are you referring to 418?

[norwestalta]

Alberta beef producers are having a meeting this week. I believe on the table is wildlife problems.

[dwiterodtka]

Originally Posted by jockdoc

Are you referring to 418?

420 - 422 mainly. There are still bears there but nothing like 10-15 years ago.

[elkonthemind]

Lots of Grizz around these days u cant go out sheep hunting without running into at least on grizz or ton of track and scat. I hunt should be reintroduced. I read on article that was saying in the areas the we do hold grizz there population are as dense as Alaska from one biologist.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by dwiterodtka

420 - 422 mainly. There are still bears there but nothing like 10-15 years ago.

You're saying there are fewer grizz in 420-422 than there were 10-15 years ago? Fewer blacks, I agree..... fewer grizz, I don't

[cds]

Originally Posted by lfv

Do you think there are enough grizzly around and the licensed hunting should be introduced?

I hunt in 527 and 524 in the Chinchauuga Area last year in 40 Km 15 grizzlies were spotted. I think it is time for a limited hunt in certin areas.

[Doodle30]

I heard direct from a landowner in 212 today that he knows of seven in the direct vicinity of his property.

[Redwillow]

I know of 3 incidents in the past 5 years where someone had a run-in with a grizz, was charged and shot the bear. One guy was in court over it and the other 2 were ran through the gauntlet like they were a criminal but not charged in the end. 2 were south of GP in the Grovedale area, the other was just west of Spirit River.

[spinningchain1]

Over in Bergen by sundre there was tons of bears running out of the bush a few years back when that grizzly and 2 cubs killed that bow hunter and I would take it there's more since then

[The Bit Runner.]

Got some great permission to hunt Elk this fall. The land owner said just watch out for the bears. Was just thinking black bears I said not scared of bears its ok. He says just so you know there is a Sow with 3 cubs and another sow with 2 cubs and a big boar. So 8 grizz on his section of land. I said I was good I will bow hunt somewhere else.

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by spinningchain1

Over in Bergen by sundre there was tons of bears running out of the bush a few years back when that grizzly and 2 cubs killed that bow hunter and I would take it there's more since then

Spend over 60 days a year for the last seven from the double drop to the garrington bridge and way south of the berhan store on the fallen timber. Never laid eyes on a single bear. Kmow at least a dozen land owners in the area , not one has mentioned a grizz.
I have seen tracks near the raven confluence and a few years ago above the double drop. Spending ten days abough two miles from the store late nov I may see a wolf or a cougar ,grizz I highly doubt it.

[oldgutpile]

Been checking back regular for comments in this thread, and it is becoming apparent that the "no" vote is slowly rising.
Just curious for feedback from the negative crowd, on why they would appose a reinstated hunt. Is there something that the rest of us are overlooking, or is the vote more emotionally based?