I saw this photo and showed all my hunter friends that I work with. Hunting is a sport, also used to feed families and other uses. I'm not a hunter and I used to not be so much for it, but I'd rather see animals be hunted than starve in the wild because of overpopulation, or hit in the roadways for the same reason. I applauded this man on his hunt. A beautiful bear and I'm sure he will not waste it and I'm also sure that he will respect it in such a way that it becomes a monument in his home. I hope y'all don't eat meat or wear leather shoes, etc...
Will hunting solve nuisance bear problems?
If recreational hunting is to play a role in alleviating or controlling nuisance bear situations, such hunting must either: (1) reduce the bear population to levels where damage is eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels, (2) target specific bears or groups of bears involved in damage, or (3) function as an aversive conditioning technique to "teach" bears to cease offensive behavior.
Hunting is often considered to be a management tool, rather than solely a recreational pursuit. Hunting is often the cheapest method, license fees support the managing agency's activities, and fees and associated expenses place a value on the hunted animal, while damage-control kills devalue it. Hunting is rarely the only management option available but can be a useful component of an overall program, in addition to the cultural and social values inherent in recreational hunting. If hunting is necessary as a bear management tool, then we must necessarily: (1) understand the impact of hunting on bear behavior and population dynamics, (2) effectively regulate bear seasons to adjust harvest levels and sex and age composition, and (3) identify and target the desired population component. Our ability to address these aspects is often limited.
Clearly, there are historical examples where black bear numbers have been significantly reduced by overhunting-even without bounties or predator-control agents-particularly in localized areas. In general, modeling suggests that a black bear population can sustain a maximum harvest of 14 to 16%. If the management objective is to exceed such harvest level and reduce "overpopulation", then the managing agency must have the ability to accrue sufficient numbers of hunters; manipulate season length, timing, and bag limits; and implement those hunting techniques which will be effective in harvesting sufficient numbers of bears. In areas with high bear populations, localized hunting may create a sink effect, perpetuating the nuisance activity which stimulated the hunting process. Conversely, unhunted areas may be a source for bears which move into adjacent huntable regions. In 1997, 81 bears were killed in Sevier County, Tennessee, most within the city limits of Gatlinburg which supported a large number of food-conditioned bears. Hunting is probably a poor means to teach bears to avoid people or nuisance behavior. Speculation persists that bears in heavily hunted areas are more "wary" than those where hunting is absent, perhaps by selectively removing bold bears while those predisposed to avoid people survive, or when bears are shot at but missed. These hypotheses cannot be rigorously tested due to subjective impressions, unquantified statements, and short-term observations. Behavioral changes resulting from food-conditioning may have greater influence on "wariness" than does hunting. Others have suggested that bears respond to human behaviors and avoid hunters because of the hunters' audacious or domineering demeanor. Bears may also exhibit a conditioned response to audible cues, such as the click of a firearm's safety. While bears can undoubtedly learn and respond to human behaviors and sounds, these learned responses may simply cause bears to avoid certain people or locations, but not terminate offending behavior elsewhere.
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/mammals/bear/black_bear_problem_faq.htm#prob10Sport hunting is a valid recreational pursuit with deep roots in human culture. Hunting can also play a distinct role in wildlife management when goals and objectives are clearly defined and attainable, knowledge of the animal's population dynamics is available, and methodology is sufficient to the task. Stakeholder understanding and support is essential in order to avoid socio-political challenges to management actions.
Previous Topic
Index