Ontario Proposing to Expand Black Bear Hunting Pilot

Written by Ontario Newsroom on 01 November 2015

Province Committed to Sustainable Black Bear Management

Ontario is proposing an expanded spring bear hunting pilot program to gather further information to assess concerns voiced by northern communities about human-bear conflicts, and to support economic growth and tourism in northern Ontario.

“The expanded black bear hunting pilot program is great news for Thunder Bay – Superior North where bear-related concerns are very real. It will enable hunters to better manage our local bear population and it will spur new economic activity and tourism throughout our region by keeping the spring hunt open through 2020”. Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior North & Minister of Northern Development and Mines

The proposed spring bear hunt pilot expansion, now available for public comment on Ontario’s Environmental Registry, would include:

Extending the pilot by an additional five years, through to 2020
All 88 wildlife management units that currently have a fall bear hunt
Non-resident hunters

Under the expanded pilot proposal, it would still be illegal to hunt bear cubs and females with cubs. Anyone convicted of this offence could face a fine of up to $25,000 and up to one year imprisonment. In most cases, each licensed hunter would only be allowed to hunt one bear in each calendar year. Baiting of bears during all bear hunting seasons would be regulated to help address possible public safety concerns.

QUICK FACTS

Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population with up to 105,000 black bears living in the province.
Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall bear hunt except Nova Scotia and Ontario, which only have fall hunts.
For 2014 and 2015, Ontario held a two-year bear management pilot program in eight wildlife management units, all of which reported high levels of nuisance bear activities. The hunt was open to Ontario residents from May 1 to June 15. Communities in and around these units include Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay.

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