The dark side of Black Bears Hunting

Black bears are spread through many U.S. states and Canada provinces and their hunt is allowed in 27 of U.S. states, so beyond season regulations, there's no too much extra protection for bears.

The problem is that not all black bears hunters use "fair" hunt tactics, leading to cruel practices, sometimes endangering not only bears but also nearby communities.

On this regard, some states have begun to ban certain bear hunting tactics in order to avoid "unsporting" and inhumane practices towards bears; next some examples of bear hunting practices becoming illegal on many U.S. states.

Baiting

Baiting consists on setting up a blind on a strategic are and thereafter lure bears with food and scents in order to attract them to the area while hunters are comfortable seated on the blind.

It's a sort of ambush where bears go directly towards hunters rifles, but what about the required skills of a hunter such as scouting and chasing? Furthermore, what will happen when bears are attracted by other human food scents coming from sources different than hunters' lures?

Baiting is not only unfair but also dangerous for nearby communities because once hunters leave the area, other bears will be attracted by human food scent from local people, putting them in critical danger.

On the other hand, once a bear is attracted by baiting it's hard to know if it's a female with cubs or a male since most of time female bears don't take their cubs with them when out for food, so it's possible to kill nursing bears, leaving orphans who will certainly dead without their mother's protection.

In wilderness (without baiting) there's less chances for this to occur since cubs usually are near to their mothers, allowing hunters to easily distinguish female from male bears.

Finally, it's not a good idea to attract bears towards humans because later this will jeopardize people's safety with bears wandering around their houses.

Spring Hunting

Hunting seasons are set to allow animals population recovery after hunting, protecting species for future generations, so hunting off the season is not only unfair with animals but also with future hunters, leaving them less species to hunt in the future.

When bears get awake from hibernation during spring they are confused, starved wander a little bit disoriented looking for food. During this time bears are an easy target since they are weak and less fierce than usual.

Additionally many female bears have just given birth, so killing them will kills also her cubs, endangering next bears generation.

That's because in many states spring bear hunting is prohibited.

Hounding

Hounding is to chase bears with dogs in order to corner bears forcing them to climb a tree, where they become an easy target.

This technique often leads to high stress on bears, separate cubs from mothers and "teaches" bears to identify dogs and humans as a menace, so if they survive dogs chasing, later will be prone to attack human beings as defense.

On the other hand this is an unfair technique since many dogs and humans equipped with radio collars and gps are chasing a single bear who has no chances to escape or use its skills to avoid hunters.

So, if you are a bear hunters, be sure to use legal, fair techniques which takes the best of your skills and assure bears population protection for future generations, only that way bears hunting will be long term sustainable.