now that we are ''politically correct'' and sales of hunting licences are falling each year, we are dealing with another issue- the rise in bear populations.Bears being opportunist feeders are becoming increasingly bold and venturing into back yards for fruit and garbage,neccesitating the fish and game departments to put them down.One CO told me that when he traps a bear and the media are present, the TV camera shows the bear being trucked out of town to be relocated back into the bush and everybody is happy.What they don't know is he shoots them 3 days later when they come right back.Once they locate an easy food source they will travel any distance to access it.
Sure we should educate people to pick their fruit and not keep garbage , but the fact is, it happens and bears are quick to locate it.Far from being ''endangered'' bears are increasing in numbers and are becoming a nuisance.Hunting is a valuable management method to keep the numbers down and make bears avoid human contact.
But the animal rights groups seem far more intent on protesting so they can keep the donation dollars rolling in than they are in wildlife management, so the bears will carry on increasing in number, and the numbers of bears that will be shot by CO's will increase along with it.
